Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver Quest!
by GreenSonic21
Summary: Sequel to the "Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Adventure!" manga. Hareta sets out for Johto, meeting a new Trainer named Gold upon arrival. Along with Gold's friend, Kotone, they set their sights on the Johto League, but what will they discover along the way?
1. The Golden Boys

**Route 29: The Johto Region**

Near the New Bark Town entrance to the route, two boys stood with Poké Balls in hand, having just run into each other. One boy wore a yellow t-shirt with a white stripe, blue shorts, blue shoes, and a blue baseball cap turned sideways. The other boy also wore a baseball cap over his raven black hair, though he wore it backwards and it was yellow in back and black in the front with a Poké Ball design. He also has a red pullover with a white front pocket, yellow shorts that have black stripes on the sides, and shoes that are a mix of black, red, and yellow.

"The name's Joey! I'm a Youngster! Where do you come from?" the boy with the blue cap asked. "Me? You're asking me?" the boy with the pullover asked. He continued, "My name is... Gold of New Bark Town! I'm aiming to win the Johto League Silver Conference, and I'm a really powerful Trainer! And this is my partner!" So saying, he threw the Poké Ball, which opened in a shower of light to release the Pokemon within.

The light faded away to reveal a Chikorita. "I've never seen one before! Is it a Grass-type?!" Joey exclaimed. He then threw his Poké Ball, saying, "Go, Rattata!" Light emerged from the Poke Ball, fading away to reveal the Mouse Pokémon. "Hyper Fang!" he called, and Rattata headed for Chikorita, preparing to attack with its front fangs. "Chikorita! Counter it with your Vine Whip attack!" Gold called. Chikorita nodded and charged towards Rattata. Before Rattata could attack, Chikorita's vines came out of its neck and ensnared the smaller Pokémon. "Ack! What?! It's getting eaten by those roots! Come back, Rattata!" Joey exclaimed, recalling Rattata to its Poké Ball. It became surrounded with a red light that pulled it out of Chikorita's grasp and back into the Poké Ball.

"Well, it looks like I'm the winner," Gold grinned, patting Chikorita to show that he was proud of it. Joey replied, "You're using Chikorita, even though I can see that it hasn't been with you that long. How long have you been a Trainer?" Gold gave a sheepish smile and, somewhat embarrassedly, said, "Well... Starting today, I suppose." This was clearly not the response Joey expected, as he shouted, "TODAY?!" Gold nodded and said, "Yeah. See, this morning, the town's Pokemon professor asked to see me..."

_**Flashback**_

_Gold left his house to head for Professor Elm's lab, having been told by his mother that he was looking for him. After arriving, Gold knocked on the door, and soon it was answered by Professor Elm, who said, "Ah, Gold! Sorry for bothering you, but will you help me with something urgent?" At Gold's nod, Professor Elm explained, "I'd like you to visit Mr. Pokémon, who lives in the neighboring Cherrygrove City. It seems he has made a bit of a discovery regarding Pokémon, but I'm too busy to go see what it is." At this, Gold looked behind him to see all of his assistants trying to take care of things on computers and move Poké Balls and other things around the lab. He then said, "Well, Professor... Although I'd like to help, I don't have any Pokémon in case I'm attacked, so I really can't go..." Professor Elm smiled and said, "Don't worry about that. Come with me."_

_Professor Elm led Gold into the laboratory and over to a table with three Poké Balls resting on it. "I believe you're about the age to become a Trainer, Gold. And since I know that it's quite a walk to Cherrygrove City, I prepared some Starter Pokémon for you," he said. He then opened the Poké Balls to show Gold the Pokémon that were inside. "First, a young and naughty Water-type Pokémon that can bite anything... Totodile. Next we have a timid Fire-type Pokémon that has a powerful flame... Cyndaquil. And lastly, the cutest Grass-type Pokémon you'd ever laid your eyes on... Chikorita." Professor Elm explained, introducing the Pokémon. "Wow... New Pokémon that I haven't seen before. Is it really okay for me to train one?" Gold asked. Professor Elm said, "You really have a Trainer's power of observation, Gold! And I'm sure any one of them will quickly grow to like you." _

_Gold looked at the Pokémon and said, "Great! Hmm... Which one? Totodile's jaws would be sure to put a dent in anything they get a hold of, and being able to use water would be cool! Or maybe Cyndaquil? Using a Fire-type attack... Bang!" He thought about all three for a moment, then turned to Totodile and said, "Okay, Totodile! I choose you-" While he was deciding to choose Totodile, Chikorita used its Vine Whip to tie up his arm! This caused Gold to panic and dash around, trying to get Chikorita to let go. "It seems Chikorita has especially taken a liking to you," Professor Elm commented while he sweat dropped. "I wonder... Is this really such a good way to start out as a Trainer?" Gold asked after Chikorita disentangled itself from his arm. Chikorita sat down and looked up at him with a smile, hoping Gold would choose it._

_"Not to worry, Gold. Even the best Trainers have their rocky starts, so don't worry. Just know that I'm counting on you now!" Professor Elm said. He then reached into his lab coat and pulled out a blue PokéGear, saying, "Once you get a hold of the news, use this PokéGear to contact me immediately." Gold was awed about having his very own PokeGear, so he immediately strapped it to his left wrist. As he looked up, he suddenly noticed a shadowy figure standing up on the window ledge where he was looking. "Professor, look! There's someone lurking behind the window up there!" he called. Professor Elm turned to look, but did not see anyone, so he turned to Gold and said, "I don't see anyone there." Gold replied, "I could've sworn there was somebody there. They looked like they were wearing black." Professor Elm said, "Don't worry about such trivial matters. You can't become a successful Trainer that way! I'm sure it's fine, so you can get going." Although Gold was still a bit suspicious, he decided to let it go, so he and Chikorita headed for the door._

_Back up on the window ledge, the figure Gold spotted removed his back from the wall he had been pressing against to avoid being seen and resumed his looking. "He has good eyes... I'll see if he can battle as good as he can look once their backs are turned," he whispered._

_As Gold left the lab, he suddenly heard a girl call, "Hey! Gold!" He turned to his right to see his old friend, Kotone, heading towards him. She was wearing a white cap on top of her greenish blue hair, as well as a white jacket over her red long sleeve shirt, a pair of yellow shorts that were black on the sides, and shoes that were red, white, and black. "Hey, Kotone! What's up?" Gold called. She stopped in front of him and said, "Well, I happened to see you coming out of Professor Elm's lab, so I thought I'd see what was up!" she said cheerfully. Gold said, "Professor Elm asked me to run an errand for him since he's so busy. I'm supposed to go to Cherrygrove City to meet with Mr. Pokémon and find out about the discovery he made. So Professor Elm gave me my first Pokémon to help me complete the task and this PokéGear to contact him with," gesturing to Chikorita and his arm as he spoke._

_Kotone replied, "Wow, that's awesome, Gold! Maybe you should go show your mom before you go! Just to let her know what you're doing. Hmm... You know, I think I might be getting my first Pokémon a little later, since I'm leaving to see my grandparents who live near Goldenrod City soon. Ooh, that reminds me. I've still got a few things to pack." She then turned and headed for her house, waving behind to Gold and calling back to him, "Bye, Gold! Maybe I'll see you if you need to go to Goldenrod!" Gold waved back to her for a moment while Chikorita did the same with a vine, then they both headed for Gold's house._

_**End flashback**_

"So that's what happened," Gold concluded, Chikorita rubbing against his leg. Joey was a bit surprised about what happened at the lab and wondered what would've happened if he had chosen Totodile like he originally planned. Then he remembered what Gold had said about its jaws and decided that Chikorita was probably the better choice. "Hey, Joey, do you know if Cherrygrove City is far from here?" Gold asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Yeah, it's not that far from here. You should be able to get there by sunset. Since there are wild Pokémon that only come out at night, it would probably be best to stay at the center when you get there!" Joey explained.

Gathering up his backpack and having Chikorita rest on his shoulder, Gold turned to look at Joey over his shoulder and said, "Thanks, Joey! I'll contact you with my PokéGear sometime! Looking forward to another challenge from you, dude!" Joey called back, "Sure thing! And next time, you can tell me how you won with your beginner's luck..." Suddenly, all three of them heard the sound of a Pidgey and a Geodude. Looking around, Gold spotted both Pokémon laying in the grass, both badly hurt! However, when Gold tried to help them, both of them tried to attack him! Joey said, "They're terrified of us! Maybe they were attacked by humans?" Gold turned to him and exclaimed, "A human did this?! Who would do such a thing?!" Joey replied, "I wouldn't know. Team Rocket used to do things like this, but that was three years ago, back before they disbanded."

Gold looked back at the Pokémon and said, "We can worry about who did this later. Right now, we've got to help them!" Joey replied, "But the Pokémon Center is too far away for us to take them there..." Looking around, Gold suddenly shouted, "Look over there! It's an Oran Berry tree!" Dashing over to the tree, Gold grabbed several berries off of it and came back over to the Pokémon. Dropping two of them in front of Pidgey and Geodude, he said, "You both will recover soon if each of you eats a berry. We have to get going so be sure to eat them and get your strength back, both of you." He then pulled out two more berries and said, "And each of you can take one back to share with your friends. I've tied each to a string so that they're easier to carry!" As he watched Gold talk to the Pidgey and Geodude, Joey thought, "_I thought he was arrogant... He actually really cares for Pokémon._" As Gold and Joey left, both Pidgey and Geodude silently watched as Gold left.

Joey was headed back to New Bark Town, so he and Gold parted ways from there. As he walked, Gold thought, "_Really, though... Who could have done such a terrible thing?_" Looking up at the sky, Gold noticed that the sun was going down. "Evening already? Looks like I took too long!" he said. As he began to get close to Cherrygrove City, his PokéGear suddenly rang. Flicking it open, he saw that it was Professor Elm, so he answered it. Almost immediately, Gold heard the professor saying, "Gold, it's me, Elm! Something terrible has happened! Come back immediately!!!" Gold replied, "What is it, Professor? What happened? I've already walked so far..." Suddenly, a voice behind him said, "I'll tell you what happened, Gold!" Turning around, Gold suddenly saw an Ember attack coming towards him! He ducked out of the way and the small fireballs fizzled out when they landed in a small pond nearby.

After seeing them fizzle, Gold turned to see a boy with long red hair wearing a black fleece shirt, baggy blue jeans, and black and red boots standing there. Next to his right leg was the Cyndaquil from Elm's lab. "Gold, what's going on?!" Elm cried. "It's okay, professor. I've got it handled," Gold reassured him, then hit the hang-up button. He then asked, "Who are you?" The passer-by boy replied, "My name is Silver!" Gold then asked, "What'd you attack me with an Ember attack for?!" Silver replied, "This Pokémon is now mine! I saw its potential in becoming a powerful Pokémon, so I took it when that fool of a professor wasn't looking!"

Gold shouted, "You were the one at the window, weren't you?! You thief!!" Silver simply brushed some of the hair in front of his face away as he said, "Whatever you say, kiddo. I'll do whatever it takes to become the most powerful Trainer! That includes trashing weaklings like those two others!" Gold asked, "Two others...? You did that to Pidgey and Geodude?!" Silver laughed and said, "They were both too weak! They didn't serve me any purpose!" Gold shouted, "What are you talking about?! Pokémon and Trainers work as one to grow stronger together!" Silver pointed at Gold and said, "I saw what happened between you and those two. Any Trainer who would spoil and aid such lost causes is my enemy!!"

Gold yelled, "Chikorita! Whip that ruthless jerk!!" At that, Chikorita leapt from his shoulders ready to battle. Silver called, "Cyndaquil! Deal with that sentimental fellow!!" Cyndaquil leapt into battle Chikorita, making Gold see that the odds were against him. "Oh man! How is Chikorita going to defeat a Fire-type?!" he groaned. Silver spoke, "Amateurs who don't know the basics shouldn't go around bragging! You'll never become the most powerful Trainer! I'll cut those dreams short right now!!" Silver then commanded an Ember attack from Cyndaquil, which really hurt Chikorita badly. "I'm not holding anything back! Ember again!!" Silver called. Once again, Cyndaquil flared up and launched a round of fireballs towards Chikorita. "Stop!!" Gold cried, grabbing Chikorita and preparing to shield it with his body. "What is he thinking?! He can't seriously believe he can take the attack himself!!" Silver shouted.

Suddenly, the wind whipped, which prevented the Ember attack from hitting Gold. Looking up, Gold saw a Geodude and a Pidgey in front of him. Noticing the Oran Berry that the Pidgey had tied around its neck, Gold realized that it was the same Pidgey and Geodude from earlier. Gold called out, "Geodude! Use Rock Throw!" Geodude instinctively obeyed Gold's command and launched several rocks at Cyndaquil, knocking it out!

After recalling Cyndaquil, Silver spoke, "Hmph! Being rescued by Pokémon... You're nothing short of being incompetent. I'll let the matter rest for now. But if I ever see you again, I'll settle this once and for all! Stay out of my way if you know what's good for you! I'm going for the Johto League Silver Conference and the championship!!" And with that, Silver began to walk away, heading for Cherrygrove City. "Silver... I won't forget that name," Gold murmured to himself. Looking up, Gold saw that the sun had almost set. Not far from where he was, he could see lights beginning to go in buildings in the direction Silver had headed. He turned back to Pidgey and Geodude and asked if they would like to join him. At their agreement, Gold took out two of the Poké Balls his mother had given him and set them for Geodude and Pidgey. With that done, they set out for Cherrygrove City so they would be there by the time the moon rose.

**Meanwhile...**

Off the coast of Cinnabar Island, a cruise ship was cutting across the water, heading for the port in Cherrygrove City. Aboard the ship were people and Pokémon of all types. Some of them were looking to head to the Johto region for a vacation or business trip. Others were looking to meet new Pokémon that they would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. And of course there were Trainers looking to compete in the Johto League Silver Conference.

One of the doors on deck opened, and a young boy, looking to be no older than 9 years old, stepped out. He wore a red long sleeve shirt, a blue jacket that was black at the elbows and inside up to the collar, stretching out slightly at the zipper, black jeans, and blue shoes that had some white on top. He also had a white scarf that went down just past his chest, a reddish-pink hat, a platinum-colored bracelet on his right arm, and a blue, square-shaped Pokétch on his left sleeve. On his left shoulder sat a Minun, and above his right shoulder was a Misdreavus. The three of them walked over to the starboard side of the ship to watch the setting sun.

As they gazed on the horizon, some of the others passengers glanced at him, wondering where his parents were since he looked too young to be traveling on his own. They paid these looks no attention, focusing instead on the colors of the sky. They, along with the rest of their friends, were indeed traveling on their own, looking to seek new challenges in Johto and many new friends.

The boy spoke, "Tomorrow morning, we'll be in Cherrygrove City, guys. We'll get registered at the Pokemon Center and give dad a call before we start our journey. You ready to go for the Johto League?" Both Minun and Misdreavus happily replied, "(You bet we are, Hareta!)" Hareta smiled at hearing that, knowing that his friends were just as pumped up about going to Johto as he was. All three then turned their attention back to the sky for a little while longer. Eventually, they decided that it was getting late, so they headed back to their cabin to get some sleep for the night.

* * *

Here it is. The first chapter of my new story. It's kind of a basic beginning, but that's to be expected though. It'll get better, hopefully. And don't say anything about how Gold and Silver have their GSC outfits or that I gave Kotone the appearance of Crystal. This was intentional. They'll get their HGSS appearances later on. And just so everyone knows, Hareta's Pokétch is the same one from DP, not the one from Platinum.

So that's the start of things. Send me a review if you want. I'll start working on the next chapter soon. And I don't own Pokemon.

* * *

Music:

First Battle- Normal Battle (Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness)

Gold's Flashback- New Bark Town (Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver)

Battle with Silver- Rival Battle (Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver)

Journey to Johto- Pokémon Gym/Evolution (Pokémon series) (Super Smash Brothers Brawl)

Take care! See you next time!


	2. Falkner's Challenge

"Attention, passengers. We will be arriving in Cherrygrove City shortly. Please gather up all of your belongings and any Pokemon, and prepare to disembark," a voice from over one of the loudspeakers on the cruise ship spoke.

Near the front of the ship, Hareta was looking out across the water as Cherrygrove City grew closer, his raven black hair waving in the ocean breeze. "Ah... I forgot how much fun it is to ride on a ship! This was a lot of fun!" he said. He then took his silver-white backpack off and opened it up to make sure he had all of the supplies he left with. Various cooking utensils and supplies, medicines and berries for the Pokemon, and empty Poke balls for catching new Pokemon. He also checked several other key items he had been given, as well as counting to make sure he had the 12 Poke Balls that held his own Pokemon. With all of this checked out, he slung his backpack over his back and prepared for the ship's arrival, having eaten breakfast at the ship's buffet a little while ago.

Soon, the ship came to the docks at the south of Cherrygrove City and all of the passengers disembarked. Some of them began to talk to people at the docks or meet up with a group or person they were planning to meet. Hareta, like most of them, headed for the Pokemon Center, though in his case, he took off jogging towards the center, wanting to beat the rush of Trainers that would be checking their Pokemon in with Nurse Joy and registering for the Johto League Silver Conference.

**Inside the Pokemon Center: Dining Area**

Sitting at one of the tables was Gold and all of his Pokemon, Chikorita, Pidgey, and Geodude. Having woken up a short while before they heard the sound of a ship coming into the port, they were positively starving by now. So they were all snacking down on the food that was provided for all the Trainers. Before they came, he registered for the Johto League Silver Conference and had Nurse Joy do one last check-up on all of his Pokemon. As he ate, Gold wondered, "That Mr. Pokemon guy... What exactly did he discover? It must be big for Professor Elm to send someone to get it!"

Soon, he and his Pokemon were done eating, so he decided to recall Pidgey and Geodude into their Poke Balls, leaving Chikorita out since it was the head of his party, and picked up his white backpack that had a Poke Ball symbol on one of the pockets on the back. He then left the dining area and headed out, passing through the lobby that was filled with the passengers from the ship. As he headed past the reception desk, he noted that there was a 9-year old boy with raven black hair wearing a blue jacket, black jeans, a reddish-pink hat, blue shoes, and a silver-white backpack standing there, waiting for Nurse Joy. He figured that the boy wanted to ask her something and headed for the exit to go to Mr. Pokemon's house.

* * *

Hareta stood patiently at the front desk, waiting for Nurse Joy to come back with his Pokemon and PokeDex. Soon, she came out with a large tray that held all of his Pokemon and his PokeDex. Setting it down, she said, "Hareta, I've completed all of the check-ups on your Pokemon, and they're all extremely healthy. I've also registered you for the Johto League Silver Conference, so now any badges you win here will count towards you qualifying for the league." Hareta collected his Poke Balls and PokeDex and said, "Thank you, Nurse Joy! You're so helpful! Do you have phones in this center here too?" Nurse Joy nodded and said, "They're all along the wall over there and are free for Trainers to use." Hareta bowed to her and said, "Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy! See you around!" He then headed for the phones, took a seat at one, and dialed his home number.

After a few moments of waiting and listening to the machine say, "Ring-ring, ring-ring, phone call, phone call," it was soon answered and Hareta was greeted with the face of his father, Kaisei. "Hey there, Hareta! You're sure up early this morning!" his father said. "I guess so! I thought I'd call to let you and mom know that I arrived in Cherrygrove City a little while ago," Hareta replied. "Good to hear. Your mother had some things to do this morning, so she left early. So it's just Plusle and me keeping an eye on things right now. I'll be sure to let her know that you called though," his father said.

Suddenly, Hareta heard a ding-dong sound coming from his father's end. Kaisei looked in the direction of the sound, then turned back and said, "There's someone at the door. It might be either Mitsumi or Professor Rowan. Want to hold on while I go see who it is?" Hareta flinched for a moment after hearing this, more at the sound of Mitsumi's name than anything else. He was quiet a moment, then said, "No, that's alright, dad. I've got to get going anyway. I'll call you later to tell you how things go after my first gym battle in Violet City!" Kaisei looked at him a moment, then said, "Alright, son. Looking forward to hearing that you got your first Johto badge. See you later!" With that, the two hung up, Hareta sitting looking at the blank screen a moment, then standing up and picking his backpack up off the ground, reaching into it and grabbing Minun and Misdreavus' Poke Balls and letting them out. They both said "good morning" to him and he returned their greeting. "Well, we're all registered, guys. Ready to head for Violet City and our first gym badge?" Both of them replied, "(Of course!)" With that said, they headed for the exit.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other end in Sinnoh, Kaisei paused for a minute, wondering what was going through his son's mind at the end of the call. The ringing of the door bell snapped him out of it, so he stood up to go see who it was. As he opened it, he recognized, the middle-aged man as his old friend, Professor Rowan. "Hey there, Professor. How's it going?" he asked. "Just fine. I thought I'd take a break from my work to stop in for a visit," Professor Rowan replied. "Well, c'mon in then!" Kaisei said, so the professor walked inside while Kaisei closed the door.

* * *

Gold arrived at Mr. Pokemon's house, which was a short distance from the Pokemon Center. Knocking, he was greeted by an elderly woman who invited him in and asked why he was visiting. Gold explained that Professor Elm had sent him on an errand to talk to Mr. Pokemon about his discovery, to which the elderly woman replied that Mr. Pokemon left yesterday.

"Huh?! You mean he's not home?!" Gold asked. "Sorry," the elderly lady replied. "His childhood friend paid a visit early yesterday. The two of them have gone to Violet City together." Gold then asked, "Granny, do you know anything about what he discovered?" She thought for a moment, then said, "I only heard that it was something found by a couple that runs a daycare center. Not much else." As she went to get some tea, Gold said, "Then I've got no choice but to see him in person."

After exiting the house, Gold stood in front and thought, "_Hmm... Violet City... The famous Bird Keeper, Gym Leader Falkner, lives there._" After mulling over it for a minute, Gold said, "I know I'm in the middle of an errand, but I can still take the first step towards the championship. So we'll challenge the gym leader!" Chikorita gave a "Chiko!" to show its agreement, then they headed for Route 30.

**Entrance to Route 30**

Gold looked down the road from where he was standing to see a bunch of Pokemon Trainers that looked ready for a battle. "There sure are a lot of Trainers... I don't think they'll let me pass without a fight," he said. Suddenly, he heard footsteps next to him and turned to see the same boy he had seen at the Pokemon Center reception desk standing next to him, though he now had a Misdreavus and a Minun on his shoulders.

"Looks like there's going to be a lot of battles all the way to Violet City, guys. Think we can handle them together?" Hareta asked. Both of them told him, "(As a team, no one's going to stop us!)" At this, Gold realized that he was also a Trainer and was impressed by how he and his Pokemon were planning to tackle all of the Trainers on the road. So he said, "Hey, you! Are you looking to compete in the Johto League Silver Conference too?" Hareta turned to him and said, "You know it! My name's Hareta! What's yours?" Gold replied, "Mine's Gold. Since we're both headed for the same place, how about we tag up and handle these Trainers together?" Hareta eagerly nodded and said, "Okay!" They both turned back to the road and Gold said, "This'll be great training for the gym leader! Who wants to take us on?!" All the Trainers got their Poke Balls ready at this statement.

**A little later...**

Soon, Hareta, Gold, and their Pokemon were at the opposite end of Route 30, having just finished up their last battle quickly. Both them and their Pokemon seemed a little winded after all of the battles, but they were glad that they had won them. Both of them complimented their Pokemon, who were equally happy to have made it all the way. Suddenly, Gold's Chikorita collapsed from exhaustion. Both boys began to worry, so Gold scooped up Chikorita and they headed for the gate leading into Violet City.

**Violet City Pokemon Center**

"You... You're not fit to be a Pokemon Trainer!" Nurse Joy scolded Gold. "Not all Pokemon can show exhaustion through their face. That's why Trainers are supposed to keep track of a Pokemon's physical condition. If they don't..." She was suddenly cut off by Gold yelling, "Just tell me what happened to my Chikorita!!" Nurse Joy smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's just feeling exhausted. Make sure to look after it carefully from now on." Gold sighed in relief, while Hareta was glad that Gold was feeling better.

Soon, the familiar dinging came from behind the counter, and Nurse Joy went to the door in back and came out with Gold's Chikorita. "Here you are. Everything's okay now," Nurse Joy said. Gold took Chikorita when it was set on the counter and pulled it into a hug, crying, "I'm sorry, Chikorita!" Chikorita returned the hug, while both Hareta and Nurse Joy watched with smiles, Hareta's Pokemon doing so as well. Nurse Joy soon said, "I take back what I said. You have what's most important in a Trainer: love for your Pokemon!" Gold couldn't help but blush a bit at that. Nurse Joy then said, "Remember that Chikorita enjoy sunbathing. So if it's warmed up in the sun before a battle, its movements will improve." With that, both Hareta and Gold left the center to head for the gym.

As they left the reception desk, an older man with whitening hair and a lab coat walked up to the desk, asking, "Excuse me, Nurse Joy. Do you mind if I use your computer for a while?" Nurse Joy immediately recognized him and said, "Yes, take all the time you need! Please go to the second floor!" As the man headed for the escalator, he looked at the two boys leaving the center and thought , "_Hmm, those two boys look so much like Red! But that younger one... Could that be the grandson Professor Rowan mentioned?_"

**The Violet City Gym**

Both boys stood in front of the gym, looking at its shrine-like appearance, noting that a flock of Flying-type Pokemon were circling above it. After looking at it a moment, Hareta shouted, "Excuse us!!!" At this, the gym doors began to open. Hareta, Minun, and Misdreavus looked forward unflinchingly, while Gold and Chikorita were the slightest bit nervous.

Once the gym doors were fully open, they could see a man clad in a blue male kimono and sky blue jacket standing near a scroll with Lugia and Ho-Oh on it. "Ah, a pair of challengers," he noted. Gold, getting over his worry, spoke up, "I'm Gold from New Bark Town! Gym Leader Falkner, I challenge you!" Falkner spoke, "I accept your challenge! And you, young man? What are you here for?" Seeing that he was talking to him, Hareta said, "My name's Hareta, and I also want to challenge you to a battle! But since he spoke up first, Gold can go." Falkner smiled, "I see. I will be sure to challenge you after your friend's battle. I can assure you that!"

After thanking Hareta for allowing him to go first, Gold stepped into the challenger's box, while Falkner stepped into the leader's box. Hareta sat off on the sidelines with Minun and Misdreavus so they could watch Gold's battle. Falkner spoke, "We will battle with two Pokemon apiece!" Gold thought to himself, "_I've heard that Falkner uses Pidgey and Pidgeotto... The Grass-type is weak against Flying-types, so should I use Geodude instead?_" Falkner called out, "Go forth!" and released his Pokemon from its Poke Ball, which was a Pidgeot! "What's that?" Hareta shouted, having never seen a Pidgeot before. "A Pidgeot?! That's not what I remember hearing!" Gold cried. Falkner spoke, "Sorry, Gold! Both Pidgey and Pidgeotto were hurt pretty bad during my last battle. Until they've recovered fully, I won't let them battle." Gold had to admit this was a good idea, then asked, "Um, by the way, what was that challenger like?" Falkner said, "It was a young man with long red hair dressed in black." Gold realized that had to have been Silver, and wondered how he and his Cyndaquil did. Falkner said, somewhat angrily, "In the end, his Mareep's electricity was used to counter my moves." Gold sweat dropped, figuring that Silver must've held nothing back against Falkner.

Gold then spoke, "We may have Geodude on our side, but we still have to overcome our disadvantage in order to win the battle. Right, Chikorita?" Chikorita leapt from his shoulder, shouting, "(Right! Let's do it!)" Falkner smiled and said, "A Grass-type? Interesting choice." And with that, the gym battle began!

Falkner ordered a Wing Attack from Pidgeot, while Gold called for a Razor Leaf from Chikorita. Due to Pidgeot's superior aerial speed, it easily dodged the attack, then prepared to swoop down on Chikorita. Unfortunately, Pidgeot missed Chikorita, its attack hitting the ground next to Chikorita and ripping up a few floorboards. "Is the opponent too small? It's lucky to be that size!" Falkner commented. Gold looked at the spot on the floor where Pidgeot's attack hit and thought, "_What a powerful attack... One hit would be more than enough to knock Chikorita out! It must be really high leveled... What do I do now?_" Gold then noticed that there was light shining in from outside onto the battle field and looked up to see a hole in the ceiling, realizing that it must've been caused by the missed Razor Leaf attack. Suddenly, Gold had an idea that might help Chikorita win the battle.

Gold began to command consecutive Razor Leaf attacks from Chikorita, seeming to be trying to hit Pidgeot in the air. Although confused at first, Chikorita suddenly caught on to what Gold was planning, so it kept on attacking. Falkner spoke, "You won't hit Pidgeot by continuing to use that attack! You've been in trouble since the start, yet you don't seem bothered by it... Are you planning something?" Looking at Chikorita's face and seeing nothing there, Falkner decided not, so he commanded another Wing Attack from Pidgeot, the Flying-type's wings glowing brightly.

Gold called for another Razor Leaf attack, this one not even aimed at Pidgeot. All of a sudden, a section of the ceiling started falling, having been separated by that last Razor Leaf attack and landing on top of Pidgeot! "Alright! It's the poker-faced battle strategy!" Gold cheered. Suddenly, Pidgeot burst through the section of the ceiling, panting heavily but still able to battle.

"Frankly, your battle strategy caught us both off guard. But it's useless against Pidgeot's speed," Falkner said, still a bit surprised. "You're not easy to beat, that's for sure! And we wouldn't want to win by cheating. That was our real goal!" Gold said, pointing to the hole in the ceiling. Sunlight was streaming down through it, bathing Chikorita in sunlight. All of a sudden, the Grass-type began to do a series of small, fast movements. Gold explained, "The rise in temperature caused by the sun has increased the speed of Chikorita's movements. We had to do this in order to match Pidgeot's speed!"

"Whoa, great strategy!" Hareta yelled from the sidelines. "Indeed. I rather like the idea myself! Pidgeot, counter Chikorita with your fastest Wing Attack!" Falkner ordered. Gold called for Chikorita to take careful aim, then ordered a Razor Leaf attack that threw Pidgeot off-balance. "Now, Tackle attack!" Gold called, and Chikorita slammed into the dazed bird, knocking it to the ground. Falkner grabbed Pidgeot's Poke Ball and recalled it, saying, "That's excellent teamwork between a Pokemon and its Trainer. I concede defeat."

He then pulled a rope near him, saying, "However, you may regret making it this far, because you have very little chance of defeating this Pokemon." The wall behind Falkner lifted up, the silhouette of a large, shining, blue bird behind him. Hareta stood up, surprised, while Gold exclaimed, "That Pokemon!! It can't be...!"

**Outside the Gym**

In front of the gym, a large group of people, including Nurse Joy and the man she had spoken to earlier, was looking to the sky where a vortex was forming above the gym.

Nurse Joy asked, "Professor?" The man replied, "I've never seen anything like this before! Could this be...?"

* * *

Music:

Arrival- Cherrygrove City (Pokémon HGSS)

Route 30- Apotos (Day) (Sonic Unleashed)

Gym Battle- Kanto Trainer (Pokémon anime)

Double Surprise- Shuttle Gully (Panic) (Blast Corps)


	3. Unexpected Help

**Outside of the Violet City Gym**

The people that composed the group in front of the gym all had their eyes focused on the mysterious vortex that seemed to be above the gym. Every now and then, they would see flashes of lightning coming from the black interior of the purple vortex, though there didn't seem to be anything else happening because of it.

"Nurse Joy, can you tell me what time it is?" the man with the lab coat asked the nurse. Glancing at her watch, she said, "It's 11:45am." Looking at his own, the man said, "My watch says 11:55am." He then looked back up at the vortex and said, "It seems the flow of time is being warped by that vortex! As for the reason behind this... My good friend, the talented inventor Bill, was developing a Time Capsule long ago, though he stopped work on it to help his friend Celio work on the Pokémon Net Center to further worldwide wireless communication. It's possible that he may have resumed work on it, which might explain this time warp." Nurse Joy was amazed that an inventor may have created a time-traveling device, even if it turned out to be years from now. "We must check out the Violet Gym!" the man exclaimed, heading for the door while Nurse Joy followed.

**Inside the Gym**

As they entered the gym, they noticed that much of the wooden paneling from the oriental-styled gym was covering the floor, making quite a mess. Looking up, the man said, "Sorry to barge in like this, but the time warp may have reached here!"

Nurse Joy exclaimed, "Professor, back there! That's a...!" The man looked where she was, giving a shocked yell himself. "That is a Legendary Pokémon! The Pokémon that has been most sighted in the caverns of the Seafoam Islands, Articuno!!" he shouted.

Hareta and Gold stood in the Trainer's box, both of them staring in awe at Articuno's majestic appearance. Next to Articuno was Falkner, who was crouched on one knee, seeming to be paying respect to the Legendary Pokémon. He soon looked up and spoke, "The Johto region has a long history. Hence, there are many Pokémon legends. Violet Gym has its own legend as well. Originally, it was built as a resting place for Articuno." He then focused on both Hareta and Gold and said, "Hareta, Gold... You're both really lucky. Articuno only returns to rest in Violet City once every four years. Since it is no ordinary opponent, Articuno will face both of you in battle. If you can emerge triumphant, you'll both receive the badge. So both of you had better give this battle everything you've got."

"Professor, it's amazing! Is it really going to battle?" Nurse Joy asked. The professor said, "Hmm... Although the Violet Gym Leader does train Flying-type Pokémon, he has never done this before." He then glanced over to the two boys, recognizing them. He said, "Those boys that he's letting challenge Articuno... They're definitely the two I saw leaving the Pokémon Center earlier! How are they going to do battle with Articuno?"

Both Gold and Hareta seemed to be frozen in surprise that they were going to battle the legendary Articuno. Hareta had seen plenty of Legendary Pokémon on his first journey, but he had never heard of the Legendary Birds. Gold, meanwhile, seemed to be even more shocked, not sure how they were going to win.

"_I don't know what Pokémon Hareta has, but I've only got Chikorita, Pidgey, and Geodude! Even if Hareta's Minun battles, we probably don't have much chance against a Legendary!_" Gold then spoke, "Why not... Let the two of us battle with it ourselves?!" This caused everyone except Hareta and their Pokémon to fall over. They hoped he wasn't serious.

"This is an official battle, you idiot!" Falkner yelled. "I know that! But I don't want to lose after all the work Chikorita went through! And I don't want my Pokémon to get hurt!!" Gold shouted. Hareta said, "If our Pokémon work together, Gold, there's no way they can lose as long as we trust them!" Gold thought about this a moment, then nodded to show he agreed, so Hareta called for Minun to join Chikorita in the battle. At their Trainer's commands, the two began to charge towards Articuno, who flapped its wings, heading towards the two charging Pokémon.

All of a sudden, the vortex outside suddenly expanded and something began to fall towards the gym before the vortex vanished. The object came falling through the hole in the roof, suddenly striking the ground with enough force to push both sides back. Everyone looked at what had landed and saw a Pikachu with a glowing silver tail, indicating that it had used Iron Tail. After glancing about a moment, it seemed to come over to Gold and Hareta's side, joining Chikorita and Minun. It took everyone a moment to realize that Pikachu seemed to want to fight on their side.

"Hey! Pikachu is an Electric-type, just like Minun! I have no idea where it came from, but perhaps we're getting lucky!" Gold said. All of a sudden, Pikachu broke away from the two Pokémon, charging towards Articuno with a battle cry! "Pikachu is jumping into battle on its own?!" Gold exclaimed. "A Pikachu that acts on its own in battle... It must be a very high-leveled Pokémon. Good for you, Gold and Hareta! A suitable opponent for Articuno has arrived to help you!" Falkner said.

Hareta said, "Well, whatever the reason, this battle is sure heating up now! Misdreavus, get in there and help Minun and Pikachu!" With that, Misdreavus joined the two on the field. While Hareta did that, Gold grabbed Pidgey and Geodude's Poké Balls, calling them out and telling them to assist as well. "This is certainly becoming interesting! This room is a bit too small for Articuno to truly reveal its power, though," Falkner said, moving back towards the wall. He was headed for a switch on the wall, grabbing the lever and pulling it down. All of a sudden, the roof of the gym opened, revealing the blue sky. Articuno took to the air as it prepared to battle the two Pokemon teams.

Articuno's beak opened, charging up a light blue sphere and shooting an Ice Beam! Pikachu dodged the series of Ice Beams that were aimed at it, moving at a very fast speed. Using the broken piece of the ceiling as a ground, Pikachu jumped high into the air and began to charge up a lot of electricity. It then released a powerful bolt of electricity, aiming for Articuno. "What's that attack?!" Gold exclaimed. "That's a Thunder attack, one of the most powerful Electric-type moves!" Hareta shouted. In the back, the professor shouted, "Even Articuno may be powerless against a Thunder attack that powerful!"

As the attack got closer to Articuno, it twisted its wings around slightly, then did a horizontal spin, completely dodging the Thunder attack. "It's not afraid of being hit by the Thunder attack. A battle with a Legendary Pokémon is truly a sight to behold," Falkner said, noting that even in battle Articuno was majestic. After coming out of its spin, Articuno launched another Ice Beam, Pikachu jumping out of the way as the ground it had been standing on turning into a pile of ice. "Articuno has one powerful Ice Beam, all right! Watch out, guys!" Hareta called to Misdreavus and Minun. "You too, guys! You'll freeze if the attack hits you!" Gold shouted to Chikorita, Geodude, and Pidgey.

Pikachu continued to try to hit Articuno with its Thunder attack, using up a lot of electricity. "No, Pikachu! A large-scale attack like that is too inaccurate to hit Articuno! An attack like Thunderbolt... Use that to weaken Articuno!" Gold shouted. It was hard to tell if Pikachu heard him or not, due to it panting so hard from the strain of so many Thunder attacks. "Hmm... Pikachu's level is very high, but at this rate, it won't win if it doesn't listen to its Trainer," the professor mused.

Articuno spread its wings wide, unleashing a Blizzard attack, a rush of cold wind headed for Pikachu! Although Pikachu did not get hit directly, it's left leg was frozen to a chunk of ice. Looking up, Gold saw that Articuno was preparing to launch another Ice Beam attack at Pikachu! Hareta called to Misdreavus, "Misdreavus, you know what to do!" Misdreavus replied, "(Got it, Hareta!)" It then began to charge up a glowing yellow ball in front of its mouth. As Articuno launched its Ice Beam, Misdreavus released the Power Gem attack at the Ice Beam.

The two attacks impacted just above Pikachu, causing an explosion that freed Pikachu's leg and spread a few pieces of the floor around. Looking down at the pieces, an idea formed in Hareta's head. He turned to Gold and asked, "Gold, can your Geodude use Magnitude?" Gold replied, "Yeah, Geodude learned it on the way here." Hareta said, "Then have it use it so that it shakes those floorboards loose. I have an idea on how to get to Articuno." Gold looked confused and asked, "What are you going to do with the floor?" Suddenly, a stray Ice Beam landed near them, just missing Misdreavus and Pidgey. "There's no time to explain! Just do it!!" Hareta shouted. "Alright. I'll trust you know what you're doing," Gold replied.

Gold called for Geodude to use Magnitude, so the Rock and Ground-type began to charge up the attack, giving off a brown aura. It then went speeding towards the ground from where it was floating, generating a Magnitude 7 earthquake that sent parts of the floor into the air. "You won't beat Articuno with Ground-type moves! You'd better think of something else!" Falkner said. Hareta simply replied, "Don't worry, I am thinking of something else." He then turned to Misdreavus and said, "Misdreavus, use Psychic on those pieces of wood!" Misdreavus' eyes began to glow blue, the flying pieces stopping in midair as they glowed too. Suddenly, they began to move and arrange themselves in a way that sloped up towards Articuno.

"You see it now?" Hareta asked. "Yeah, I can see it perfectly now!" Gold replied. Behind them, the professor said, "He's using Misdreavus' Psychic attack to create a staircase to Articuno!" Nurse Joy commented, "So it's a stairway to victory!"

While Misdreavus held the pieces in place, Hareta and Gold called for Minun and Pikachu to attack. They both jumped on the piece closest to the ground, then they split up, jumping on different pieces to confuse Articuno. Once Minun was close enough, it leapt at Articuno and unleashed a Thunder Wave to stun it in midair. After it leapt back, Pikachu unleashed a close-range Thunder attack , creating a massive explosion that surrounded Articuno in smoke.

Although Articuno's silhouette was visible, it was hard to tell if it was defeated. Soon, the smoke cleared to show that Articuno was still flying! Pikachu was exhausted and Minun forgot that it had no ground underneath it, so they both began to fall back towards the gym. Pidgey and Geodude managed to catch them before they hit the ground, Chikorita running over to see if it could help them. "Everyone's okay, but we can't win now," Gold murmured. Hareta looked back up at Articuno and noticed something different in its eyes, something that wasn't there at the start of the battle.

Suddenly, Articuno turned away from the battlefield and began to fly into the distance. "Why is Articuno flying away?" Gold asked. Falkner explained, "Articuno has admitted defeat. The legendary Articuno fights when it wants and leaves at will, so it has decided not to fight anymore. In other words, you both have defeated me, the Violet City Gym Leader!" He then reached into his kimono and pulled out two badges. He then spoke, "And as I promised, both of you get the winner's award. You've both won the Zephyr Badge!" Both Hareta and Gold looked at each other a moment in stunned silence, then they both erupted into cheers, echoed by the cheers of their Pokémon. Both of them had won their very first Johto badge!

Nurse Joy spoke, "Thank goodness that's over. That battle was really risky and close." The professor put a hand on his chin and said, "Those two showed a great combination of teamwork. Anyone who can work that well with others is sure to go far in battle." Looking at Hareta, he said, "I'm sure that that's the grandson Professor Rowan mentioned now. Young, but a fast learner, he described him as." He then looked at Gold, who had Pikachu on his shoulder and said, "And that Pikachu... Could it be a gift from someone?"

* * *

Well, it looks like both Gold and Hareta have earned their first badge. But what was that vortex? Where did Gold's Pikachu come from? And where will they head next? We'll find out!

Music:

Articuno Appears- Celestial Theme (Okami)

The Time Traveler?- Proof of Courage (Megaman Battle Network 2)

The Battle Begins Anew!- Boss Battle (Megaman Battle Network 2)

First Johto Victory!- End of Battle (Megaman Battle Network 2)


	4. Aim For the Goal

Following their battle with Falkner, both Hareta and Gold headed for the Pokémon Center with Nurse Joy and the man to get their Pokémon healed. On the way, they learned that the man's name was none other than Professor Oak, the authority on Pokémon! After Nurse Joy finished healing the Pokémon, the small group began a bit of a conversation.

"Well even so, it was an amazing battle," Nurse Joy was saying. "I was moved by the mere sight of Articuno. It's incredible that you two won." Gold spoke up, "Yeah, well, he was the one with the real power back there! And Hareta's the one who came up with the winning strategy! Heh heh heh..." Hareta looked at him and said, "Hey, I may have come up with it, but it was thanks to you and Pikachu that it worked! C'mon, give yourself a little credit!"

"Anyway Gold, you mentioned that you came from New Bark Town. How is Professor Elm doing?" Professor Oak asked. At the mention of the professor's name, Gold shouted, "Yikes! I totally forgot that I came to Violet City to meet with Mr. Pokémon!" Suddenly, a voice spoke, "What did you come to see me about, lad?" Everyone turned to the speaker, an elderly man in a black suit with white hair and a white mustache, who revealed himself to be Mr. Pokémon. He then said, "I see now. You must be Professor Elm's errand boy!" Gold smiled, "Absolutely, Mr. Pokémon, sir!" Mr. Pokémon noticed that Pikachu was echoing Gold's cheery statement and said, "I see you have a Pikachu with you, and your friend has a Minun. Both of them are incredibly rare here in the Johto region." Hareta patted Minun, who was sitting on his shoulder, and said, "I've had Minun for quite a while now. He was a gift from my dad." Minun happily chirped at this. Gold, meanwhile, grabbed one of Pikachu's cheeks, giving it a yank, and said, "We're good friends ourselves." Pikachu was annoyed that Gold was squeezing one of his electric sacks, so he shocked him with a Thunderbolt. "Yes, you do get along well," Mr. Pokemon commented.

Mr. Pokémon then spoke, "You've saved me quite a bit of trouble. I would like you to take it to Elm." Gold and Hareta looked on as Mr. Pokémon began to unzip a bag, Gold asking, "What is it? This discovery you made?!" Soon the bag was fully opened to reveal a white egg with red and blue spots on it. Chikorita, Minun, and Pikachu crowded around the egg excitedly, while Gold looked a bit confused. "Um... It's an egg," he said. Hareta exclaimed, "That's no ordinary egg, Gold! It's a Pokémon egg! My Minun hatched from one!" Mr. Pokémon looked at Hareta and said, "Ah, so you know something about Pokemon eggs, do you? I wouldn't have guessed your little Minun came from one."

At their talking, Gold yelled, "But wait! Even if Minun did come from an egg, Professor Elm said that there's no proof that Pokémon lay eggs!" Mr. Pokémon cheekily said, "That's why Professor Elm is so interested in this discovery." Gold then added, "Well, as long as the egg hatches, that is." Mr. Pokémon got a bit embarrassed as he said, "Well, that's why I contacted Professor Elm about taking a look at this. He specializes in Pokémon evolution and is the head of the Pokémon Preservation Council. That's why it's important to get it to him." Gold realized that Elm probably could discover something after all, though this also meant he would have to let Hareta go on ahead since he wouldn't ask Hareta to put his journey on hold to go to New Bark Town. Still, Gold figured it wouldn't be too big a hassle to go back.

Professor Oak spoke, "I'll take it for you. I can stop by New Bark Town and visit Elm before I go back to Pallet Town." Mr. Pokémon asked, "Oh, are you leaving so soon, Oak?" Professor Oak replied, "Yes, I promised Professor Rowan that I would stop by early next week." At Professor Oak's talking, Gold asked, "You two know each other?" while Hareta asked, "You know Grandpa?!" At their questions, Professor Oak answered, "Yes, this old man and I are childhood friends, while Professor Rowan is a good friend of mine and my senior when it comes to seniority." While Mr. Pokémon muttered that he didn't want to be called an old man by another old man, Gold realized that Professor Oak was the friend that Mr. Pokémon went travelling with before, and Hareta was excited that he got to meet one of his adoptive grandfather's friends.

Knowing that Professor Oak would take care of the errand, Gold cheered, along with his Pokémon, that they could continue their journey, echoed shortly afterwards by Hareta and his Minun cheering. "Hmm... The Ecruteak City Gym is close to here, isn't it?" Professor Oak asked Nurse Joy. She responded, "Yes, but there's currently a roadblock on that route. Hmm..." She turned to Hareta and Gold and said, "It might be a bit of a walk, but you both could go to Azalea Town for your next battle."

Soon, they all stood in front of the Pokémon Center, ready to part ways. Before Hareta and Gold left, Professor Oak spoke, "Wait. Before you two go, I have a present for you, Gold. Something to help you." He then pulled a red Pokédex out of his lab coat, which looked similar to a touch-screen game system, and handed it to Gold. "This is the latest model of Pokédex." Professor Oak explained. Gold was astounded that he was receiving the newest Pokédex for his journey.

As Gold checked out what his new Pokédex said about his Pokemon, Mr. Pokémon said, "You seem to have taken a liking to the lads, Oak." The professor chuckled and said, "I can see it in them, that they're going to become great Trainers. I want to help them with getting there." All of a sudden, Gold started running around and yelling for Chikorita to let go of his arm, since it had joyfully wrapped its vines around it. Pikachu laughed at this, while Hareta and Minun just watched. "It would appear his Pokémon like him too much," Professor Oak joked.

**Route 36**

After saying goodbye to the Nurse Joy of Violet City, Professor Oak, and Mr. Pokemon, Hareta and Gold took their backpacks and left Violet City, Chikorita, Pikachu, and Minun tagging along beside them.

"So once we get through the Union Cave on Route 32, we'll be in Azalea Town, right?" Hareta asked. "Right. I've heard that the Gym Leader uses Bug-type Pokémon. I wonder what he's like," Gold replied. "I wonder if Azalea Town has a legend associated with it like Violet City does," Hareta wondered. "Maybe. But if we level up along the way, we should be ready for it!" Gold replied, feeling more confident after his first gym battle.

Suddenly, Pikachu started wandering off the path, catching everyone's attention. "Pikachu! Where are you going?!" Gold cried, running after it, followed by Chikorita, Hareta, and Minun. "Geez, I don't know where you came from, but you sure are a willful Pikachu," Gold groaned. As they ran, Hareta could swear there was a sound nearby.

Soon, they found Pikachu standing at the edge of a cliff, where they got another surprise. On the ground beneath the cliff, there seemed to be a basketball court, and there were Pokémon teams playing basketball! "What are they doing? It looks fun!" Hareta exclaimed. "Those Pokémon are playing basketball!" Gold said. At the word 'basketball,' Hareta and Minun gave Gold a confused look, not understanding. Suddenly, a voice behind them spoke, "Hey you two." They both turned to see a young man with purple hair wearing brown shoes, long socks, green shorts, and a green short-sleeve khaki shirt step out from behind a rock with a bug-catching net. He spoke, "They're holding this basketball tournament to celebrate the anniversary of the ruins. Would either of you be interested in participating?"

Hareta asked, "Who are you?" The young man replied, "I'm Bugsy, a Bug Keeper boy. Nice to meet you two." Gold spoke, "Um... I'm Gold, and this is Hareta. Nice to meet you too." Secretly, Gold thought Bugsy was a girl when he first saw him. He continued, "It does look fun. But we don't have time to play games." Bugsy spoke, "Well, that's too bad. Because the winner of the tournament will receive a rare Pokémon. Your attention with me yet?"

"Really?! A rare Pokémon?!" Hareta cried. "Wow. And just when I was thinking of looking for a new Pokémon!" Gold exclaimed. Bugsy spoke, "But there are plenty of powerful contenders in the tournament. Particularly Takeo, the Firebreather. My Bug Pokémon are no match for his Fire-types. But maybe your Pokémon, Gold... What do you think? Will you form a team with me? Of course, if we win, I'll let you keep the prize. And some experience would be good." Gold didn't even need a moment to decide, since he immediately said, "Yeah! Let's do it, Bugsy! Let's enter the tournament and win the prize!!" Although Hareta wished he could take part in the game with them, he figured it would be better for Bugsy to team up with someone who knew what basketball was.

**Later...**

"Now the Gold and Bugsy team will face the Firebreather Takeo in the following match," the tournament announcer spoke. On Gold and Bugsy's side were Pikachu, Chikorita, Geodude, Pidgey, and Metapod. Takeo had a Magmar, Charmeleon, Cyndaquil, and two Voltorb on his side. Looking at their team, Takeo had no doubt in his mind that he was going to win. The announcer continued, "Here are the rules. Each goal earns you two points. The first team to earn ten points is the winner. As this is the final match, the winner wins the tournament!" Hareta sat in the crowd, along with Minun and Misdreavus. He was wearing a male cheerleader outfit, while Minun was wearing a male kimono and had a pair of fans, while Misdreavus had a white band tied around its head. They were planning to put their all into cheering Gold and Bugsy to victory.

Soon the match was ready to begin, Pikachu and Charmeleon in the center to go for the tipoff. A Hitmonchan with the basketball got in between the two and, after making sure they were both the same distance from each other, threw the ball into the air. As soon as it was in the air, Pikachu made a powerful leap, about to grab the ball when Charmeleon launched a Flamethrower at Pikachu's tail. As the ball landed in Charmeleon's claw, it gave a "hmph," while Pikachu cried, "(It's hot! It burns!)" Gold shouted, "Hey, he can't do that!" Bugsy replied, "Actually, he can. He's just making use of 'techniques.'" Takeo said to Gold, "That's the way we do things around here." While Geodude threw some sand on Pikachu's tail, Charmeleon made a goal, earning the Firebreather's team two points.

In the stands, Hareta shouted, "Gold, Bugsy, don't give up! Get back in there and show him who's boss!" Minun and Misdreavus echoed this shout, cheering for them as well.

As the match continued, Metapod got a hold of the ball and headed for the goal, but it was soon snatched by Magmar without a single blow. "Good, we'll score another goal!" Takeo shouted. Before Magmar could make it halfway, Gold called, "Pidgey, use Gust attack!" At his call, Pidgey flapped its wings, whipping up a wind that knocked the ball out of Magmar's hands. Chikorita prepared to grab it with Vine Whip, but Pikachu suddenly used Quick Attack to grab the ball and took off towards the goal, dodging all of Takeo's Pokemon. As it got in front of the net, Pikachu made another powerful leap, slam dunking the ball into the net and giving a thumbs up as it landed. "Argh... That Pikachu..." Gold groaned. Bugsy said, "Pikachu's slam dunk shot is amazing!" Up in the stands, Hareta, Minun, and Misdreavus cheered.

**A short while later...**

"The two teams are now on par. Both have 8 points, so the next goal will determine the winner!" the announcer called. Takeo growled and said, "I've still got one last trick up my sleeve. Voltorb, use Double Team!" At this, his two Voltorb split off into multiple copies, confusing Chikorita, who was preparing to catch the ball when they began to split off. "With all those Voltorb copies, we can't tell where the basketball is! Now we have no way of knowing when he's going for the goal!" Gold cried. Bugsy simply said, "Leave it to me, Gold." He then order his Metapod to use String Shot, which trapped the Voltorb copies. They then realized that the Cyndaquil had the ball and was already in front of the goal! As Cyndaquil made the shot, it seemed like it was going to go in for sure, when suddenly a pair of light-green vines shot out from inside the basket. They came from Chikorita, who was defending the goal in case one of Takeo's Pokemon tried to take the shot while they were distracted. Gripping the ball tightly, Chikorita sent it flying to the other end of the court, where it swished right into the basket!

"The Gold and Bugsy team wins!" the announcer shouted. After Takeo praised the two and Hareta, Minun, and Misdreavus came down to congratulate them, Gold and Bugsy went up on the platform to receive the prize Pokémon. As Gold took the Poké Ball in hand, a familiar red haired boy was watching from above. "If that Pokémon will be powerful, I'll steal it!" Silver said.

Gold opened the Poké Ball to reveal an Elekid! "Cool! What's that?" Hareta asked, bringing out his Pokédex. His Pokédex told him, "Elekid, the Electric Pokemon and the pre-evolved form of Electabuzz. Even in the most vicious storm, this Pokémon plays happily if thunder rumbles in the sky." Bugsy smiled, "It sure is a cute Pokémon. Be sure to take good care of it, Gold." Gold replied, "Of course! Elekid and I will be great friends!"

Back up on the cliff, Silver spoke, "Hmph, there's no point in stealing that. It's far too weak to be worth it." He began to walk off, saying, "And I'll be sure to make that kid know it next time we meet." He looked at his Cyndaquil's Poké Ball and said, "And that will be your last chance to prove that you're not like that Elekid, got it?"

* * *

Uh-oh! What could this mean for Cyndaquil? Find out next time!

And feel free to leave a review, harsh or not!


	5. The Friday Pokemon

**Ruins of Alph**

Following the conclusion of the basketball tournament, Gold, Hareta, Bugsy, and their Pokémon decided to pay the ruins a visit. As they walked towards one of the chambers, they could see tourists and Ruin Maniacs, all of them looking into the rich history of the ruins. When they reached one of the chambers, Gold decided to let Elekid out so that everyone could get acquainted with it.

"Elek. Eley ele!" Elekid called as it flexed a bit and shot off a few sparks, basically just giving off a shout. "Ha ha! What a lively Elekid!" Bugsy commented. As Elekid calmed down a bit, the other Pokémon began to introduce themselves to Elekid and it was happy to meet them, especially Pikachu and Minun since they were fellow Electric-types.

As the Pokemon were talking, Bugsy was examining the Pokémon-type patterns on the walls of the chamber. Noticing that Bugsy was writing in a notebook, Gold asked, "Hey, Bugsy, you really like to do research, don't you?" Bugsy replied, "Sure do. My research first started with the Bug-type, which has made me quite knowledgeable about them. It even led me to discover the move Fury Cutter. I'm researching the ruins now because my dream is to someday become a full-fledged researcher." Hareta piped up, "A researcher! You mean kind of like Professor Oak or Elm?" Bugsy smiled, "Yes!"

Both Hareta and Gold were in a bit of awe at learning this. They snapped out of this state when they heard one of the tourists mention that the ruins are mysterious. As they both looked at some of the designs on the walls, Hareta said, "I used to see ruins like these back home. They were all connected to ancient legends in some ways." Gold looked at one of the statues saying, "Maybe the same holds here too. You don't see Pokémon like the ones on these statues around nowadays, and I sure don't understand these symbols."

Crouching down to look at one of the walls, Bugsy said, "I'm sure that this place is more than just a ruin. I have a feeling that it's concealing a very important Pokémon secret." He then turned to Hareta and asked, "You said the ruins you used to see were connected to ancient legends, right? Did you discover anything from them?" Hareta replied, "Sure did! I remember learning about the three lake guardians of Sinnoh when I visited them. It took some time, but I ended up meeting all three!" Bugsy replied, "Really! Well then that proves that there is likely a connection to Pokémon here as well!" Gold spoke up, "Hmm... You will definitely become a professor someday, Bugsy!" Bugsy blushed at the compliment while Hareta giggled a bit. Gold continued, "I won't become one, though." At this, Pikachu started laughing a bit. Hareta spoke, "Maybe not, but I bet you'll become a Pokémon Master someday, Gold!" Gold replied, "That's true! Heck, both of us probably will!"

Bugsy was a bit surprised at their talking, asking, "Gold, Hareta, are you two aiming to compete in the Johto League Silver Conference?" Both of them said, "We sure are!" Bugsy replied, "Oh, I see... So you both are Pokémon Trainers! I suppose you're headed to challenge the Gym Leader of Azalea Town. I'm going back to Azalea myself." Gold asked, "Really? Then we'll all go together, Bugsy!" Hareta added, "Yeah! You know what they say! The more the merrier!" Bugsy said, "Great! Let's get going then!"

**Gate to Route 32**

As they entered the gate, the watchman behind the counter stopped them, saying, "Hold it. Are you folks headed for Azalea Town?" At their reply, he said, "I'm afraid that there has been some sort of accident in the Union Cave. So it's temporarily closed to the public now." Gold cried, "What?! You've gotta be kidding!" Bugsy wondered, "Has it finally happened?" Hareta heard this and asked, "What is it, Bugsy? Do you know something about what happened?" Bugsy replied, "I'm sure that it's the work of the Friday Pokémon! It lives inside the Union Cave!" Bugsy gathered up his supplies and headed for Route 32, calling to Hareta and Gold, "Come with me! I'm going to need both of you to help with this!" As they ran, Gold shouted, "Wait! What is it? The Friday Pokémon you mentioned!" Bugsy called back, "Just hurry!!"

**A short while later, at the south end of Route 32, in front of the Union Cave**

As the trio came close to the entrance of the Union Cave, they saw a large group of people gathered in front, with officials making calls on their PokéGears and trying to keep people from going inside until further notice. Once they were close enough, they began to hear the sound of an echo emanating from within.

"What's that? It sounds like there's an eerie echo coming from underground..." Gold mentioned. Hareta said, "Something seems off about it. It sounds like a Pokémon, but I can't seem to hear its voice..." Bugsy spoke, "Amazing..." He then went over to a Fisherman and asked, "What's going on here?" The Fisherman turned to him and said, "I don't know. All of a sudden, that shrill cry started coming from within the cave. All the Trainers and tourists came out, and now they aren't letting anyone into the cave until it quiets down."

Bugsy spoke, "That means the Friday Pokémon must be angry." Gold called, "Um, you still haven't told us what the Friday Pokémon is..." Bugsy turned to them and explained, "Every Friday, singing can be heard from deep within the cave. The Union Cave is famous for the Friday Pokémon's beautiful singing." Gold said, "Wow, so it's a Pokémon that has a beautiful, melodious voice..." Bugsy then added, "But in recent years, there have been many tourists that either visit the cave or pass through it. Inconsiderate tourists, who have left heaps of rubbish behind." Hareta yelled, "They did what?! They should have taken their rubbish with them!"

Bugsy looked back at the cave entrance and said, "Today is Friday, so that means the Pokémon in the cave must be angry! Let's go, Hareta and Gold!" And with that, the trio ran past the officials in front of the cave entrance and inside.

As they got into the cave somewhat, Hareta, Gold, and their Pokémon began to see what Bugsy had been talking about. Littering various parts of the cave were all sorts of garbage, ranging from cracker boxes and potato chip bags to aluminum cans and plastic bottles. "Whoa..." Hareta breathed, dumbstruck at the amount of trash. "You said it. Talk about a mountain of garbage!" Gold said.

Gold then turned to Bugsy and asked, "So where is it? The Friday Pokémon?" Bugsy looked down a bit and said, "Well... Nobody has ever actually seen it before, so I don't know where it is." At this, Gold exclaimed, "Then there's nothing we can do to calm it down!" Bugsy sighed, "Sorry..." Hareta went over to him and said, "Hey, if we do some searching we'll find it, then we can help it!" Bugsy and Gold thought this was a good idea, and they were about to set off when they heard footsteps.

Suddenly, a voice spoke, "It would appear that I'm not the only Trainer who decided to stay. But I wouldn't have guessed it was you!" As they turned to the voice's owner, Gold immediately recognized the red-haired boy who had his right foot on a rock, standing above them. "Silver... It's you again!" Gold shouted. Chikorita, Pidgey, and Geodude were also not pleased to see him. Silver looked at Gold and snootily said, "Oh... And you... Are a Trainer who picked up the Geodude and Pidgey I threw away." Gold couldn't stand to listen to Silver refer to his friends as objects and was about to run up to Silver and start a fist fight when Bugsy restrained him, asking Silver, "Are you Gold's friend?" At Silver's snort, Bugsy figured not, but asked him anyway if he would help them in calming the Pokemon in the cave.

"Help you? Is that it? What a bunch of idiots!" Silver laughed. He then spoke, striking a defiant stance, "Listen to that seething roar from the depths of the earth. That Pokémon is extremely powerful. I'll capture it and become the greatest Trainer ever!!" Gold turned to Bugsy and said, "Forget it Bugsy. Talking to him is useless." He then turned to Silver and said, "Bring it on, Silver! I'll be sure to change that attitude of yours this time!!" Silver simply said, "A lousy Trainer like you can only utter rubbish. I'll finish you for good this time." And with that, he released his Cyndaquil from its Poké Ball.

"Isn't that the Pokémon that that Firebreather guy used during the tournament?" Hareta asked, remembering Takeo's team. "Right, Hareta. It's a Cyndaquil." Bugsy said. "Yes. But this isn't the same opponent from last time, Gold. Unlike you, I haven't been slacking off when it comes to my Pokémon. Cyndaquil's been through a rigorous training session, which will prove just how inefficient you are." Silver said. Gold growled and replied, "I don't slack off! Chikorita, get in there and we'll show him!" Bugsy called, "Gold, Grass-type Pokémon are weak against Fire-type Pokémon. Shouldn't you use a different Pokémon?" While Gold told Bugsy to leave him alone, Silver muttered, "That idiot hasn't improved a bit."

He then called, "Cyndaquil, Ember attack!" Cyndaquil's back flared up and it shot several small fireballs out of its mouth towards Chikorita. "Alright, Chikorita! Go!" Gold called, and his partner sent a Razor Leaf attack at the Ember that canceled out the attack. "So you repelled the Ember with a Razor Leaf..." Silver muttered. Gold grinned, "Heh heh! Now you see we haven't been slacking off. If you say you're sorry, I'll let the matter rest for now, Silver!" But Silver simply smirked, "Your speed has only gone up slightly. And you didn't hit Cyndaquil at all! Alright, Cyndaquil, Flame Wheel!" Cyndaquil let out a cry and then began to spin around, covered by flames. It then bounced off the ground and went flying towards Chikorita! "Chikorita, get away from there!" Gold called. Chikorita barely managed to get away from the attack before being struck, though it did get singed a bit from the aftershock of Cyndaquil landing. "What's the matter, Gold? You can't defeat me, can you?" Silver mocked.

"Very well, Cyndaquil! Switch to Flamethrower!" Silver ordered. Cyndaquil began to fire a blast of fire from its mouth, trying to hit Chikorita and burning the ground they were fighting on. Although Chikorita almost got hit a few times, it was doing a great job at dodging the attack. "Gold, Chikorita can't keep dodging like this. If this keeps up, you'll lose," Bugsy said. "Hey, I know that! But Chikorita and I are determined to fight," Gold replied.

As the battle continued, Chikorita remained on the defensive while Cyndaquil switched between Flamethrower and Flame Wheel, having good power behind both but being unable to hit the quick Grass-type. As this continued, Gold looked down at the burnt ground and realized Cyndaquil must be getting tired. After Chikorita did a small flip to avoid a Flame Wheel, Gold ordered a Vine Whip attack, which struck Cyndaquil's back and knocked it down due to it putting so much power behind its flame attacks. Gold called for a Razor Leaf attack, while Silver ordered a Swift attack, the leaves and stars colliding in midair. The collision created an explosion, and suddenly the ground beneath everyone's feet began to crack! As it turns out, the burnt ground had begun to get weak from the Fire-type attacks, and now it gave way, everyone except Pikachu, Minun, Pidgey, and Geodude falling through the hole!

After falling for a short while and recovering from the landing, Gold, Hareta, Bugsy, and the Pokémon began to stir. Chikorita and Elekid were still reeling from the fall, Chikorita knocked out next to Gold, while Elekid was stuck on its prongs in a pool of shallow water. While Misdreavus made sure that Hareta was okay, Bugsy wondered what the water was doing under the Union Cave. He soon got his answer as an angry shout came up near Hareta and he turned to it to see a large Pokémon in the water. As it growled down at them, Hareta shouted, "It's the Friday Pokémon!!"

"It's a Lapras!" Bugsy said, having just gotten up off the ground. "Lapras? Well, it sure doesn't look happy," Hareta said. "I heard Lapras is an intelligent and kind Pokémon, but you're right, Hareta. It does look kind of fierce!" Gold said. Suddenly, Lapras tried to attack Hareta with a Tackle attack, though Hareta managed to get out of the way in time.

Suddenly, they heard Silver say, "Wonderful! That ferocity is just what I'm looking for!" Gold turned to see him standing on another rock, his Cyndaquil standing next to the rock, seeming to be tired after the previous battle. Silver grabbed a Poké Ball on his belt and released a Gastly, telling it to use Mean Look on the Lapras, which startled it and left it unable to move for a moment. "Alright, Cyndaquil, focus your powers and use Blaze! Take it down, then I'll capture it!" Silver ordered. Cyndaquil was nervous before, but now was terrified about the situation. As much as it wanted to do what it was told, it was too scared and couldn't activate Blaze, even though it was weak from earlier. As a result, Lapras had no problem hitting it with a Body Slam attack, sending Cyndaquil flying back over near Silver.

"How pathetic and weak," Silver murmured. He then shouted at Cyndaquil, "You are so weak! Get out of my sight! I don't need you anymore!" He then turned back to the Lapras and said, "I'll make this Lapras mine one way or another! I'll catch it myself!" As the Lapras came closer to him, Gold shouted, "Silver, get out of there! You're just going to get yourself hurt!" Hareta said, "We've got to stop Lapras before one of them gets hurt!" Gold looked for Pikachu and realized it was still up above them with Minun, meaning it wouldn't be able to reach them in time to help. He then noticed that Elekid was still in the water, trying to get itself out, and decided it could work to their advantage.

Meanwhile, as Silver prepared to face the incoming Lapras, Cyndaquil, even though it was still devastated by Silver's words earlier, decided that it had to help its master and used the last of its strength to use Quick Attack to knock Silver from the rock before Lapras could hurt him. As he got knocked off, Silver dropped an empty Poké Ball shouting, "What do you think you're doing!?" As soon as both were out of the way, Gold called, "Elekid! Thundershock attack!" At his command, Elekid reeled its arms around a moment to gather electricity, then sent the attack across the surface of the water, striking Lapras with the electricity.

"Did that do it?" Gold wondered. "I think so, Gold. The electricity seems to have knocked out Lapras for now!" Bugsy said. After seeing that Lapras was just unconscious, Gold pulled Elekid out of the ground and congratulated it. Afterwards, Hareta looked back at where Silver had been earlier and spotted only his Cyndaquil passed out on the ground. "Hey, where'd that Silver guy go?" he asked. Gold looked around a moment and spotted Silver near the hole that had been created earlier, using an Escape Rope to get back up to the main level.

As he climbed, Silver shouted, "I hate busybodies, and I don't need anyone's help! This isn't over yet, Gold! Next time we battle, I'll finish you off for sure!!" And with that, he climbed out of the hole and disappeared. Hareta couldn't believe that he had left his Cyndaquil behind and picked it up, cradling it in his arms. He then looked back up at where Silver had been and said, "That Silver... I can't believe there are people like him in this world." Gold looked at him and said, "Don't worry, Hareta. I'll make sure to fix him the next time we battle. But right now, we've got to help Cyndaquil!" Hareta nodded and, after making sure that Lapras would be fine, the trio began to search for a way back up so they could get to Azalea Town.

* * *

Music:

At the Ruins- Agate Village (Pokémon Colosseum/XD)

Silver Attacks!- Rival Battle (Pokémon HG/SS)

Calming the Lapras- Cipher Peon Battle (Pokémon XD)


	6. Slowpoke Rescue

After searching around for a little while, Hareta, Gold, and Bugsy finally located a ladder that would take them back up to the first floor of the Union Cave. Upon getting to the top, Bugsy showed them the path to follow to get out of the cave. As they ran, Hareta clutched Cyndaquil tightly to his chest. Even though it wasn't his Pokemon, all Pokemon were his friends, and he wasn't going to let anything happen to this new friend.

Soon, they exited the cave and followed the path outside to reach Azalea Town. Climbing up the steps at the entrance, they passed an indented section of the ground that had its entrance blocked by a man wearing a black uniform that had a big red "R" on it.

Quickly running through the town, they soon found themselves in front of the Pokemon Center. Upon entering, Hareta ran straight to the front desk and Nurse Joy with Gold and Bugsy trying to keep up. As he slowed down, he said, "Nurse Joy, you've got to help us!" At the look on Hareta's face, she asked, "What is it? What's the matter?" He held out Cyndaquil and said, "This Cyndaquil's Trainer just abandoned it after it got hurt and tried to protect him! You've got to help, please!" Understanding the situation, Nurse Joy called for Chansey to get the treatment room ready and carried Cyndaquil into the back.

Hareta continued to stand at the front desk, wanting to hear that Cyndaquil was okay before calming down. Gold and Bugsy, meanwhile, were trying to catch their breath, since trying to keep up with Hareta had been harder than they had thought it would be.

Soon, Nurse Joy came out and said, "Cyndaquil is going to be just fine. Thanks to you getting here so fast, it'll soon be good as new. Though I hope you'll be able to find the Trainer and make sure they know what they did was wrong." Hareta said that they would make sure of that when they found him, which Gold agreed to.

Nurse Joy then noticed Bugsy and said, "Oh, hello Bugsy. Did you just get back to the gym?" Before anyone could say anything else, they heard a loud shout coming from outside. Going outside, Hareta, Gold, and Bugsy saw a man wearing a blue kimono with a white band around his waist, gray hair, and gray sandals running in their direction. As he caught sight of them, the man shouted, "Heads up, kids! Old Kurt's just got the word that there are members of Team Rocket at the well, cutting off Slowpoke tails to sell! So I'm going to teach them a lesson and save those Slowpoke!" And with that, he burst past them, running faster than one might expect.

After a moment of watching where the man had run, Hareta looked at Bugsy and asked, "Who was that guy?" Bugsy replied, "Oh that was just Kurt. He lives in a house in the northwest corner of town with his granddaughter, Maisy. He makes custom Poke Balls for anyone who brings him Apricorns. The kinds of Poke Balls he creates can't be found in any store, so Trainers often visit him to ask him to make a Poke Ball for them. And, as you've seen, he also holds Slowpoke in higher regard than a normal Azalea resident."

Hareta was impressed that Kurt could custom-make Poke Balls with Apricorns. Gold, however, was concerned with what Kurt had mentioned about Team Rocket. "Did he say that Team Rocket was in that well at the town's entrance?" he asked. Bugsy said that that's what it sounded like, but Hareta was confused. "Who's Team Rocket?" he asked. Gold and Bugsy stared at him, Bugsy asking, "You've never heard of Team Rocket?" Hareta replied, "Um, no?" Gold explained, "Well, three years ago, Team Rocket was a criminal syndicate that focused on capturing or stealing and selling rare Pokemon for profit. They also performed some seriously illegal experiments on Pokemon and sought to take over the world with them. But a pair of Trainers from Kanto stood in their way and eventually caused the team to disband." After hearing this, Hareta thought to himself, "_That almost sounds like what Team Galactic used to do, although Charon was the one who tried to take over the world while Cyrus wanted to destroy it and become a god of a new world with Dialga._"

Once Gold was finished talking, Bugsy looked back at where Kurt had run and said, "But it looks like there are still remnants of the group around. They must be looking to make a quick profit by selling Slowpoke tails." Hareta growled, "Why would anyone want to cut off a Slowpoke's tail, and why would they sell it?" Bugsy explained, "Well, Slowpoke tails are considered a delicacy to some, and the tail eventually grows back. But it's clearly a cruel practice, and one that is considered extremely illegal." Gold growled, "If Team Rocket really is back, then they need to be stopped now!" Hareta agreed, shouting as he suddenly took off running after Kurt, "Team Rocket's going to pay for this big time!" Gold and Bugsy quickly followed after, knowing that Cyndaquil was going to need time to heal and hoped they could take care of Team Rocket in the meantime.

**At the Slowpoke Well**

Reaching the border of the town, Hareta found the man from earlier knocked out on the ground. He was initially concerned, but upon seeing the "R" on his shirt, he figured it was a Team Rocket member and decided to leave him be. He then leapt into the indentation and slid down the ladder into the well, with Gold and Bugsy coming up behind him.

As they climbed down the ladder into the well, Gold and Bugsy found Hareta crouched down next to Kurt, who was lying against the wall, seeming to be in pain. They came over and Bugsy asked, "Hareta, what happened to him?" Hareta said, "I don't know. I was just about to ask him." Kurt looked over at Gold and Bugsy and said, "You must be the other boy this fellow mentioned was coming to help. And it's good to see you're back, Gym Leader Bugsy." At Kurt's words, both Hareta and Gold were shocked to learn that Bugsy was the Gym Leader of Azalea Town.

Bugsy shook his head and said, "Never mind about that right now. What happened, Kurt?" The man grinned and said, "Well, the guard up top tried to stop me, so I had to get a little rough with him. But then I took a tumble down the well. I slammed down hard on my back, so I can't move." He groaned and said, "Rats! If I were fit, my Pokemon would've punished the rest of them. Oh well, it can't be helped. Think you three could show them how gutsy you are in my place?"

Bugsy said, "You need help, Kurt. Just to make sure your back heals properly." He then turned to Hareta and Gold and asked, "Gold, Hareta, do you two think you can handle Team Rocket on your own?" Both Hareta and Gold replied that they would make sure to, then left Bugsy and Kurt to take down Team Rocket.

Soon, they came across a set of stairs leading up onto a rising section of the ground. Climbing the stairs, they turned left to head for the other side when a trio of Team Rocket Grunts suddenly stood in their way.

One of them, a female, spoke up, "Well now, what have we here?" One of the two guys with her said, "Looks like we've got a pair of little kids who are too curious for their own good." The other guy added, "Are you lost, little boys? Need to find the way back home to your mommies?" Gold yelled, "Don't give us that! We know you're Team Rocket and that you're cutting Slowpoke tails off!" The first male grunt simply shrugged and said, "So what? They're just Pokemon. Who cares what happens to them? Besides, in case you didn't know, Slowpoke tails grow back anyway. Hardly seems like something to be concerned about." The other male said, "Yeah, and even if it were, do you think we're going to stop just because you know who we are? Team Rocket may have disbanded years ago, but we're still more than enough to make little kids like you cower under your beds at night! So hit the trail, or you'll be the first victims of the new Team Rocket!"

Hareta was getting sick of these guys, so he grabbed one of his Poke Balls and threw it, shouting "Fat chance! Go, Geodude!" Gold also grabbed a Poke Ball and threw it, calling "I choose you, Pidgey!" As their Pokemon appeared, the first male grunt smirked and said, "So you want to do things the hard way… Very well. You'll see that only a fool would choose to battle Team Rocket!" The female grunt stepped up and said, "Since they're both so deluded, I think I'll help knock some sense into them as well." They both then called for their Pokemon, the male releasing a Rattata and the female releasing a Zubat.

The male Grunt yelled, "Rattata, Quick Attack!" At his command, the Mouse Pokemon took of at high speed, aiming for Pidgey. Seeing this, Gold called, "Pidgey, use Whirlwind!" Pidgey immediately began to whip up a wind with its wings, blowing against Rattata, who struggled to continue moving forward but soon lost the battle and went flying back. Seeing a perfect opportunity to land more damage, Hareta said, "Geodude, use Rollout! Go for a double hit!" Geodude immediately took off rolling and slammed into Rattata, who went flying back into Zubat. Gold then called for Pidgey to do a Quick Attack, Pidgey flying at high speed and slamming into both of them, causing them to hit a wall and get knocked them out!

Both Grunts were shocked and angered that their Pokemon were defeated without landing a single blow, and, after calling them back, sent out another Rattata and an Ekans. The female grunt shouted, "That's it, kids! Playtime is over! Hope your mommy is around to comfort you after this!" Hareta and Gold grinned, Hareta crossing his arms over his chest and shouting, "The only ones who are going to be wishing their mommy is around will be you three!" This angered the Grunts further and they ordered their Pokemon to attack, Ekans launching an Acid attack and the Rattata moving in for a Super Fang attack. In retaliation, Hareta called for Geodude to keep the Rollout going while Gold told Pidgey to keep close behind Geodude. Rattata tried to hit Geodude with the Super Fang, but the increased speed and power of the Rollout attack overwhelmed it and sent it flying. Ekans, meanwhile, had trouble aiming its Acid attack at Pidgey with as close as it was flying behind Geodude and missed completely. As the Acid flew over Pidgey, Gold called for a Gust attack, blowing Ekans away. As they both were dazed, Hareta shouted, "Geodude, come out of Rollout and use Magnitude!" Geodude did as it was told and suddenly, the ground began to shake, Ekans and Rattata being hit with a Magnitude 6 attack. Although it wasn't the move's full power, it was more than enough to make the two faint.

Recalling their Pokemon, the two Grunts were incredibly angry now. The male yelled, "What's with you two? What would compel you to stand up to Team Rocket?" Gold shouted, "Why would you want to treat Pokemon the way you do? They're not tools to be exploited for your own needs! They're our friends, and anyone who would think they don't have feeling is our enemy!" Hareta, Pikachu (who was sitting on Gold's shoulder), Geodude, and Pidgey echoed Gold's shout.

The second male Grunt stepped forward and said, "So you think they're your friends, do you? Well then their friends deserve to get the same treatment!" He then released a Rattata and ordered it to use Quick Attack on Hareta! It zoomed towards Hareta, but missed at the last minute as Hareta whipped around it, causing it to fly past. The Grunt then tried to grab Hareta, only to have his arms grabbed by Hareta and Geodude, both of them flipping him onto his back and using the force to slam into the first male Grunt, knocking him into the female Grunt and leaving them dazed. Seeing that Hareta was on the other side of the Rocket barricade, Gold called, "Hareta! Leave this guy to me! Go help the Slowpoke!" Hareta called back, "Are you sure you can handle him?" Gold reassured him, "Of course! If we could take two Grunts that easily, then I can handle this guy no problem! You just make sure the Slowpoke are okay!"

The Grunt stood up and said, "If you think I'm like the two weaklings you just beat, you've got another thing coming, brat! You'll see that you're just all talk!" Gold recalled Pidgey into its Poke Ball and said, "You may be right. I may be all talk. But then again, maybe not! Go, Pikachu!" With that, Pikachu leapt from his shoulder to battle with the Grunt's Rattata. As the battle between the two began, Hareta, running with Geodude next to him, shouted, "Be careful, Gold!"

Running into a small open space, Hareta found several Slowpoke, all of whom had their tails cut off. Suddenly, a voice said, "Hey kid." Hareta turned to the source of the voice and said, "Who's there?" Slowly, a figure clad in a Rocket outfit came into view, saying, "I saw what transpired back there. You seem pretty resourceful to be able to get past those underlings." The figure soon was revealed to be a man with green hair, similar to the Galactic Grunts that Hareta saw back in the Sinnoh region. "My name is Proton, and I am one of Team Rocket's Executives," he said. Looking Hareta over, he said, "You don't seem like much, but I suppose looks can be deceiving. If you and your friend would consider joining Team Rocket, then we can let this little assault of yours slide." At this, Hareta shouted, "I'll never join you, and neither will Gold! No one gets away with hurting innocent Pokemon just to make a profit!" Proton sighed and said, "What a shame. But since you're choosing to interfere with our plans, expect no mercy!"

With that, Proton called out his Zubat to battle Hareta. Hareta decided to give Geodude a break and instead had Minun join the battle. Proton ordered Zubat to use Supersonic to confuse Minun, the waves throwing both Hareta and Minun off-balance. Hareta ordered Minun to use Thunder Wave, but because it was confused, it was unable to hit Zubat. Knowing better than to risk letting Minun get seriously injured by Zubat's attacks, he grabbed its Poke Ball and recalled it.

Proton laughed, "Ha! Is that all you've got?" Hareta replied, "Nope! You'll find I'm full of surprises!" He then called out his own Zubat, calling for an Air Cutter attack. The attack slashed across Proton's Zubat, throwing its flying off for a moment. After it recovered, Proton ordered a Poison Fang, while Hareta called for a Confuse Ray. Once it was dazed, Hareta called for a Wing Attack, knocking Proton's Zubat out!

Proton recalled Zubat, saying, "You're not bad kid. But I'm not going to be beaten by a squirt like you!" He then called out his last Pokemon, a Koffing! Hareta called, "Okay, Zubat, use Bite attack!" As Zubat came closer to Koffing, Proton ordered, "Koffing, use Smog attack!" Koffing then released the gas from its body, which threw off Zubat and left both it and Hareta unable to see. While Zubat was distracted, Proton ordered a Tackle attack, which threw Zubat into a rock, causing Zubat to struggle to get back into the air due to the damage. Hareta tried to have Zubat do another Confuse Ray, but another Tackle attack from Koffing knocked it out! Hareta recalled Zubat, saying, "Zubat, you were great back there. You take a long rest, okay?"

Proton spoke, "Well, what's it going to be, kid? You want to just give up now and save yourself some pain?" Hareta replied, "Not a chance! Go, Kadabra!" He then threw a Poke Ball, the PSI Pokemon emerging from it. "Nice choice, but I'll beat it anyway. Koffing, use Smokescreen!" Proton ordered. Hareta called, "Kadabra, use Teleport!" At the call, Kadabra vanished from where it was standing as the smoke reached it, appearing on one of the rocks in the area. Proton ordered Koffing to use Smokescreen, while Hareta told Kadabra to use Kinesis, which threw off Koffing's aim and caused it to shoot the attack at Proton. Taking advantage of Koffing's condition, Hareta had Kadabra use Confusion, which instantly knocked Koffing out.

After Kadabra came back over to Hareta's side and Proton recovered from the Smokescreen and recalled Koffing, he said, "Maybe you're better than I thought. But you'll never bring down Team Rocket." Hareta asked, "I thought Team Rocket was disbanded three years ago?" Proton replied, "Yes, that's true. But we've continued operating underground. I'm leaving now, but just remember that you and your friend were lucky! Next time, the full force of Team Rocket will bring you both down!" Suddenly, the whole area went dark, and when the darkness cleared, Proton and the Rocket Grunts back on the rise were gone!

Hareta recalled Kadabra, thanking it for helping to defeat Proton, then turned around as he heard footsteps, which were coming from Gold, Bugsy, and Kurt. Gold came over first and said, "Way to go, Hareta! I didn't get a chance to see what happened, but I know you sent that guy you were facing packing!" Hareta grinned, then asked if Gold had dealt with the other Rocket Grunt, to which Gold replied that the Grunt never even got an attack in on Pikachu. Kurt checked the Slowpoke in the area, then walked up to both of them and said, "Thank you so much, Gold and Hareta! Now the town's Slowpoke are safe!"

**Later, at Kurt's house**

After finding his granddaughter's Slowpoke, Kurt led everyone back to his house. As they all sat on mats, Kurt spoke, "Once again, I must thank you both for saving the Slowpoke from Team Rocket!" Gold spoke, "We were glad to help, especially since they went down so easily." Kurt nodded, then continued, "You may have heard that I'm a rather famous Poke Ball maker. You might not have any Apricorns on you right now, but if you ever come across any in your travels and want me to make Poke Balls for you, I'd be glad to give you my service!" He then moved to a shelf in the back and returned with two Poke Balls, one green on top except for a red stripe and three straight lines in the middle, while the other was orange-red and had a lightning bolt in the middle and a yellow circle on the left and right sides. Kurt spoke, "But for now, I want you both to take these as my gift to you for saving the Slowpoke. A Fast Ball for Hareta, and a Lure Ball for you, Gold." Both of them accepted the Poke Balls and promised they would be back if they found Apricorns during their journey. Suddenly, Hareta remembered that Cyndaquil was still back at the Pokemon Center and, after respectfully saying goodbye to Kurt, dashed out to see if Cyndaquil had healed yet. Gold and Bugsy also remembered at this point and quickly followed after him after also saying goodbye to Kurt.

Back at the Pokemon Center, Hareta asked Nurse Joy if Cyndaquil was alright, to which she replied that it had just woken up, so she walked into the back and brought Cyndaquil out. Cyndaquil looked fine, but it was clear that it was still torn up about what happened in the Union Cave. So Hareta asked if it would like to stay with them until they could find Silver. Although hesitant, Cyndaquil knew it had to get back to Silver, so it decided to accept Hareta's offer.

Gold then turned to Bugsy and asked, "Hey, Bugsy, would you be willing to have a Gym battle with us later?" Bugsy replied, "Now that you know I'm the Gym Leader, yes, I would. But it's starting to get late, so let's rest for tonight and have our battle tomorrow, okay?" Both Hareta and Gold agreed, then they all went to the Pokemon Center dining area to get something to eat.

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Music:

Getting to the Pokémon Center- A Saviour's Forthcoming (Trauma Center: Second Opinion)

Team Rocket Grunts Barricade- Team Galactic Battle! (Pokémon DPPt) (Super Smash Brothers Brawl)

Hareta vs. Proton- Boss Battle (Megaman Battle Network 5)


	7. New Companions

**In front of the Azalea Town Pokémon Center**

After getting a good night's sleep and making sure that their Pokémon were in top shape, Gold and Hareta left through the sliding doors to head for the Gym and their second Johto badge. Silver's Cyndaquil sat on Hareta's left shoulder, while Gold's Pikachu and Chikorita sat on both of his shoulders.

Hareta spoke, "It's time to earn another badge! You ready for this, Gold?" Gold replied, "Of course I am! And so are my Pokémon!" Both Pikachu and Chikorita gave excited shouts to confirm this. Hareta said, "Cool! And we're all set as well, so the battle against Bugsy ought to be fun for all of us!"

Before the two boys could start walking, they were suddenly startled by a loud shout, "HEY GOLD!!!" After the surprise of the shout wore off, both of them turned to the source of the yell, and Gold immediately recognized the speaker. It was Kotone, and she was wearing the same outfit that she wore the day he left New Bark Town, except she had added a straw-colored skirt over her shorts, as well as a white backpack that had a pink PokeGear strapped to the side. She also had a Totodile gripping tightly onto her bag with its teeth and was carrying a Pokémon egg. She was currently running towards Gold and Hareta, slowing down as she got closer and stopping once she was in front of them, the Totodile letting go at this point.

Gold, a moment after Kotone stopped running, said, "Wow, Kotone, I didn't expect to see you here." She replied, "I didn't expect to see you either. I wasn't sure where you were, so I wasn't going to get my hopes up of seeing you at some point before I got to my grandparent's house. It's great that I ran into you here!" Gold smiled, "Well, I can agree with that. It's good to see you after these first couple of days. When did you leave New Bark Town?" Kotone thought a moment, then said, "About a day ago. Professor Elm managed to find time in the middle of some police investigation to give me my first Pokémon." She then bent down to pat Totodile, who tried to bite her to show its affection, though she managed to avoid having her hand bitten. She then stood up and said, "I camped out near the Union Cave last night, and I set my PokéGear alarm so I would be up early enough to get moving to my grandparent's house on Route 34. But since I ran into you here, I think I could put my traveling on hold for a little while!"

At this point, Hareta spoke up, "Hey, um... Gold? Is she a friend of yours?" Gold turned to him and said, "Oh, sorry Hareta! This is Kotone. We've known each other since we were little, so yes, we're good friends, even though she can act a little stubborn and childish at times." At this, Kotone shouted, "WHAT?!? I do not, Gold!" Gold turned back to her and said, "Yes you do!" Kotone shot back, "Do not!" to which Gold replied, "Do too!" This continued for a few minutes before Hareta decided to step in with a question, "Hey, I don't think I've ever seen that Pokémon before. What Pokémon is it?" This snapped them both out of their argument and Kotone said, "Oh, you must mean Totodile! I was already thinking of choosing Totodile for my first Pokémon, so I'm glad that it was still there. And we're already great friends, right, Totodile?" At this, Totodile jumped up and bit her arm, causing her to run around trying to get Totodile to let go. While Gold sweat dropped at this display, Hareta giggled and said, "It might not look like it, but they're definitely great friends!"

After Totodile finally let go, Kotone came back over to Hareta and Gold and formally introduced herself to Hareta. "Like Gold said, my name's Kotone, and, like him, I'm a new Trainer. You must be a new friend of Gold's. What's your name? Because a friend of Gold is a friend of mine!" she said. Hareta smiled and said, "My name's Hareta, and I'm from the Sinnoh region! I want to compete in the Johto League Silver Conference, just like Gold!" Kotone asked, "Sinnoh? Isn't that the region with all those myths about the Pokémon gods and the creation of the universe? I've heard so much about it!" Gold nudged Hareta and said, "She's a big fan of myths. She always used to tell me about wanting to become an explorer when we were younger." He then looked at Kotone and asked, "Didn't you always say something about wanting to explore time and darkness? Or something along those lines?" She nodded, "Yep! It's my dream to become an explorer and solve all kinds of mysteries someday!"

Hareta looked at the egg in her hands and asked, "Hey, isn't that the egg that Mr. Pokémon discovered and wanted Professor Elm to look at?" Gold looked at it too and said, "Hey, you're right!" He looked at Kotone and asked, "Did Professor Elm give you that, Kotone?" She nodded and answered, "That's right! I told him where I was going, so he asked me to take it with and ask my grandparents if they knew how the egg was discovered, as well as to take care of it until it hatches. After all, Professor Elm can be so clumsy at times." Gold nodded and said, "Can't argue with that. It did look like there was a lot of work to do on his desk when I was there."

Kotone asked, "So what were you two up to? Have you won any badges yet?" Hareta replied, "You bet! We beat Falkner back in Violet City, and were just on our way to battle Bugsy for his badge!" Kotone replied, "Really? Do either of you mind if I come and watch your battle?" Gold answered, "Sure thing, Kotone! I'm sure it'll be fun for you!" And with that, the trio set out for the Azalea Gym.

On the way to the gym, Kotone asked about Cyndaquil and Pikachu, both her and Hareta learning that Silver had stolen Cyndaquil from Professor Elm, while Kotone was amazed and confused about how Pikachu ended up in Gold's care.

Soon, the three stood in front of the dome-shaped building, looking up at it. After admiring it's look for a moment, they walked forward through the sliding doors to find themselves in a large forest-like room. They could see trees and grass growing in the whole gym, as if it were a greenhouse or an arboretum.

As they walked through the gym, Hareta said, "Whoa! I didn't know that you could do this with a gym!" Kotone, noticing several Bug-type Pokémon in the trees, added, "The Gym Leader must do this so the Pokemon can be more comfortable with their surroundings!" At this, a voice said, "That's exactly right."

They turned to a nearby tree to see Bugsy tending to a Silcoon that was attached to it. He turned to them and said, "Good morning, Hareta and Gold. Oh?" He noticed Kotone standing with them and said, "I don't think we've met before. Do you two know her?" Gold replied, "Yeah. Bugsy, this is Kotone. She and I have been friends since we were little kids." Kotone said, "It's very nice to meet you, Gym Leader Bugsy." Bugsy replied, "Same here."

He then turned to Gold and Hareta and said, "Now that we've taken care of the introductions, are you both ready to begin? I'd like to try something different today and do a double battle." Gold asked, "You mean you want to battle both of us at the same time?" Bugsy nodded and said, "Yes. After hearing about your battle the other day, I want to see how well you two work together in battle." Hareta asked, "So what are the rules going to be for a double battle?" Bugsy explained, "Both sides will be allowed four Pokémon each. I will choose four, while both of you will be able to choose two each. Either of you can substitute one Pokémon for the other during the battle, but I will not be allowed to do the same. The battle will end when all four Pokémon on one side cannot battle, okay?" Both Gold and Hareta nodded in understanding, then Bugsy led them to the battle arena in the gym.

Bugsy stepped into the leader's box, while Gold and Hareta both stepped into the challenger's box. Kotone offered to be judge for the match, to which Bugsy agreed to, so she stood off to the side of the middle of the arena, setting the Pokémon egg down on a set of blankets so that it could sit properly. Chikorita, Pikachu, Totodile, and Cyndaquil stood beside her so that they could watch as well.

Bugsy called out his first two Pokémon, selecting Scyther and Kakuna, while Gold called out Pidgey and Hareta sent out his Chingling. Bugsy called for his Scyther to use Focus Energy, so Hareta called for Chingling to use Uproar to shake its focus. It left both of Bugsy's Pokémon a bit dazed, but Scyther still managed to remain focused. Gold told Pidgey to attack Scyther with a Wing Attack, but it missed because Bugsy had it use Quick Attack. He then ordered a U-turn towards Chingling. Hareta tried to have Chingling respond with Confusion, but the Quick Attack sped Scyther attack up enough that it struck Chingling with the Bug-type move as Chingling began to glow blue. After the strike, Scyther was suddenly recalled to its Poké Ball.

"Hey, what happened?" Gold asked. "If there are other Pokemon available, then U-turn automatically returns the Pokémon to its Poké Ball, allowing the Trainer to switch," Hareta explained. "What? The Gym Leader isn't allowed to switch! Bugsy said so himself!" Kotone argued. But Hareta replied, "U-turn is an official move, Kotone. A Gym Leader can use it, even if they normally aren't allowed to switch." Gold turned to him and asked, "Really?" Hareta nodded and said, "Right. Bugsy is testing us as well as the Pokémon. He's making sure we can react to surprises like this, the way a Gym Leader is supposed to." Bugsy spoke, "That's right, Hareta. That's exactly what a Gym Leader does. Now let's get back to the battle! Go, Metapod!" He then threw the Poké Ball containing his Metapod, releasing the green Bug-type onto the field.

Hareta called, "Chingling, use Confusion on Kakuna!" Chingling once again began to glow blue, and Kakuna was suddenly lifted off the ground. Chingling then threw it back, when Bugsy called, "Metapod, help Kakuna!" At this, Metapod leapt up and used an aerial Tackle to slam into Kakuna, negating the force that had thrown it. Gold saw an opportunity and called for a Gust attack, the wind whipping up beneath both and throwing them higher. Bugsy called for both of them to use String Shot to anchor themselves to the ground, the durable string being enough to hold them in the air as long as they stayed focused. Hareta could see this, so he called for Chingling to use Astonish, causing the little guy to pop up right behind them and surprise them! This caused them to lose focus and the strings snapped. When they came back down, both were knocked out!

Kotone called, "Metapod and Kakuna are unable to continue the battle! Victory goes to Chingling and Pidgey!" Both Hareta and Gold were happy that they had managed to beat Bugsy's Pokémon, hugging their Pokémon for battling so hard. Cyndaquil was surprised by this display; never once did Silver ever do anything like that to it or any other Pokémon he had, regardless of how they did in battle. Kotone, meanwhile, was impressed by their teamwork and how strong their Pokémon had become.

Bugsy recalled his Metapod and Kakuna back to their Poké Balls, thanking them for their hard work. He then turned to Hareta and Gold and said, "That was excellent teamwork you both displayed. But it'll take a little more than that to beat my last two Pokémon! Go, Heracross and Scyther!" The two Pokemon appeared, ready to do battle against the two tired Pokémon. Hareta tried to have Chingling get the jump on them with another Astonish attack, but Bugsy ordered a Megahorn from Heracross that was much faster and knocked Chingling out! While Hareta recalled Chingling and thanked it for working hard, Gold decided that Pidgey had been through enough for now, so he returned it to its Poké Ball. Once again, Cyndaquil was amazed by the two boy's actions. After they both thought it over for a minute, Gold sent out Geodude, while Hareta called for his Zubat.

Gold called for Geodude to use Rock Polish to increase its speed. Seeing that Geodude was open, Bugsy called for Scyther to use Quick Attack and Heracross to use Take Down. Before they could attack, Hareta had Zubat use Supersonic to throw them off while Geodude finished the move. Once Geodude was ready, Gold called for a Rock Throw, causing it to hurtle rocks towards Heracross and Scyther, who flew up out of the way before they were hit. Gold then called for Geodude to use Rollout, while Bugsy had Heracross get ready with Counter. Before the Rollout hit, Hareta had Zubat use Air Cutter on Heracross, since Counter wouldn't have any effect on it. The attack threw Heracross off balance in the air, allowing Geodude to bounce up and smash into it, causing it to faint!

After Heracross was back in its Poke Ball, Geodude continued using Rollout, aiming for Scyther this time. Unfortunately, Scyther's speed was still superior to Geodude's, making it hard for the Rock and Ground-type to get close enough to attack. Hareta tried to think of a way to help Geodude attack Scyther, since he was afraid that if he had Zubat use Supersonic again, Geodude might get confused too. When Bugsy suddenly called for Scyther to use Quick Attack on Zubat, Hareta came up with an idea and told Zubat to dodge and then use Mean Look, which it did. The move was enough to unnerve Scyther just long enough for Geodude to get close enough to land a powerful Rollout attack, powerful enough to knock it out!

With Scyther having been declared unable to battle, both Hareta and Gold cheered, high-fiving each other and then congratulating their Pokémon. While Bugsy recalled Scyther and thanked it, Kotone, Pikachu, Chikorita, and Totodile were cheering for Hareta and Gold's victory. Cyndaquil also joined in, cheering a bit because it was happy that it got to a chance to see two Trainers who were a lot different from Silver.

**Later, in front of the gym**

As everyone stood near the doors of the gym, Bugsy said, "Hareta, Gold, that was a fantastic battle. Both of you were able to put your faith in each other and your Pokémon. It's understandable that you would be strong together." He then held up a pair of badges that were fashioned to look like red ladybugs and said, "So, as proof of both of you winning, I reward you both with the Hive Badge." Both Hareta and Gold happily accepted and thanked Bugsy for a great match.

Kotone looked like she wanted to say something when she spotted someone approaching and pointed them out. Everyone quickly recognized the figure as Silver! Even though Gold said his name, the boy just ignored him, turned to Bugsy, and asked, "So you must be the Gym Leader of Azalea Town?" At Bugsy's affirmation, he said he wanted to battle him, to which Bugsy said, "Sorry, but I just got done with a double battle. I'd like to give my Pokemon a chance to heal if it's alright with you." Silver just let out a "hmph" and began to walk away.

Hareta shouted, "Hey Silver!" The red-haired boy just barely turned his head to see what Gold's friend wanted. Hareta picked up Cyndaquil and said, "You left your friend Cyndaquil behind last time! Are you just going to walk away without it?" Silver turned around and said, "Ah, yes. It does seem that I forgot something." He reached into his pocket and pulled out Cyndaquil's Poké Ball, enlarging it. Suddenly, he dropped it on the ground, making everyone confused. With an evil smirk, Silver raised his right foot and brought it down on top of the Poké Ball, smashing it to pieces!

Everyone gasped at this action. Silver said, "I don't need a weakling like that anymore! Friends? Ha! What good are friends? The only thing that's important is strength, and nothing else! That thing didn't learn that, so there's no way it's staying with me!" He then turned back to Bugsy and said, "I'll be back tomorrow for my match, got it?" He then turned back around and continued walking away.

By this point, Cyndaquil had completely broken down in tears, Silver's words being too much to bear. Hareta growled as he watched Silver walk away, the boy reminding him all too much of the Team Rocket goons from the other day, as well as Team Galactic before it was disbanded. He softened his gaze as he looked down at Cyndaquil, who was buried in his shirt sobbing. He knelt down, rubbing its back. He then set it down on the ground and said, "Don't listen to him, Cyndaquil. He's wrong about you." At his words, Cyndaquil looked up at him in wonder, tears still flowing. Hareta continued, "The only thing a guy like him cares about is brute strength and nothing more. He doesn't care the way people like me, Gold, Kotone, and Bugsy do. In the end, he'll never get what he wants if he doesn't learn to care for others."

A moment of silence followed as everyone around Hareta let the words sink in. He then held out his left hand and said, "Cyndaquil... Would you like to come with us?" Cyndaquil looked up at him, the tears starting to slow, while everyone watched on. Hareta continued, "Silver couldn't see it because he's only concerned with himself, but I can tell you like to battle and be with friends. I want to help heal the scars he left on you, to let you be yourself and have fun. Together, we can show him how wrong his way of thinking is." Cyndaquil looked deeply into his eyes, seeing not a trace of lying in them, feeling the tears coming back, though they were tears of joy, as it could see this boy truly cared. It then leapt towards his chest, hugging him the best it was able, Hareta returning the hug. Nobody said anything, so as not to disturb the moment.

After a few seconds, Hareta leaned Cyndaquil back so he could look at it and asked, "So is that a 'yes?'" Cyndaquil furiously nodded to show its' approval, so Hareta set it down, stood up, and pulled an empty Poké Ball out. "Ready, Cyndaquil?" he asked and, at Cyndaquil's reply, threw the ball up into the air. Cyndaquil leapt up after it, tapping the button on the front and causing the ball to open, pulling Cyndaquil inside. Upon landing, it rattled a few times with the light blinking, then the light stopped flashing and a 'ding' was heard. Hareta then picked up the Poké Ball and, as he held it close, whispered, "Cyndaquil, don't worry about showing off your power from now on. Everything's going to be just fine." He then took on a victory pose, his right arm holding the Poké Ball above his head while his left was bent inwards at his front with a clenched fist, his legs spread apart, and said, "I caught Cyndaquil, my first Johto friend!" Gold, Kotone, Bugsy, and the Pokémon congratulated Hareta on connecting with Cyndaquil so well and making it his own Pokémon. Afterwards, they all headed to the Pokémon Center so that Nurse Joy could heal their Pokemon.

* * *

Music:

Meeting Kotone- Route 209 (Pokémon DPPt) (Super Smash Brothers Brawl)

Double Battle- Gym Leader Battle (Pokémon HGSS)

Silver's Harshness- Vicinity of Sorrow (Megaman Battle Network 2)

Hareta's Speech and New Friends- Sigh of Relief (Trauma Center: Second Opinion)

Hope you enjoyed that rather heartwarming ending between Hareta and Cyndaquil. See you next time!


	8. Guardian of Ilex Forest

Whew! I can honestly say that this is one of the longest chapters I've written so far. Hope everyone enjoys it!

* * *

After the battle against Bugsy, Hareta, Gold, and Kotone spent the rest of the day getting caught up on current events. Hareta also went off to Route 33 for a while after Gold and Kotone's Pokémon welcomed Cyndaquil to spend time with it and introduce it to the rest of his Pokémon. By the time evening came, Kotone decided that she would travel with the two, at least until they got to Route 34, since she didn't know if she'd keep traveling after stopping at the daycare. They also decided to stay in Azalea Town for a few days to recharge and give the Pokemon a break.

The next day, the group visited the gym to witness Silver's battle with Bugsy. They quickly saw how brutal Silver could be in battle, as he made short work of Bugsy's team without the gym leader landing a single blow. After Silver left, Bugsy decided to join the group in going to pick apricorns, as it would help get his mind off of some of the things Silver said to him. They found some apricorns and stopped by Kurt's house to ask him to make Poké Balls. He agreed, then sent them out so he could work, promising they would be done in about a day. So they decided to pass the day by spending time with their Pokémon and having fun.

The day afterwards, Silver had a battle with Gold, having heard that Team Rocket may be back and not believing Gold that he and Hareta had driven them off, especially since he saw that Hareta had Cyndaquil with him. During the battle, Gold's Chikorita, Elekid, and Pidgey made short work of his Gastly, Mareep, and Zubat. After the battle, Silver expressed his dislike for the weak, especially Team Rocket, saying that they act big as a group but are weak when all alone. At this point, he vowed to crush them all, and told Hareta, Gold, and Kotone to stay out of his way from now on, as he didn't need any more distractions. As he headed for the gate to Ilex Forest, the three couldn't help but wonder why Silver had such disdain for Team Rocket. Later, they also picked up their custom Poké Balls and checked out some of the local legends.

The following morning, after getting some breakfast, Hareta decided to call home and see how things were going. Sitting down with Cyndaquil and Minun on his shoulders, Hareta typed in the number and waited for someone to pick up while Gold and Kotone, along with Chikorita, Pikachu, and Totodile, were talking with Nurse Joy. Soon, the call was answered, and Hareta was greeted with the face of his mom. "Hareta! Good morning, honey!" she exclaimed. "Hi mom! Just thought I'd give you a call and let you know things have been going great here. How about you?" Hareta asked. She replied, "Well, I'm sure your father told you I was busy when you called a few days ago. I was actually at a Pokémon Contest with Jumpy." Hareta replied, "Really? Did you have fun?" She smiled and said, "Yes, we certainly did, dear. We may not have won, but the important thing is that it was fun. And speaking of winning, how have your gym battles been going?" Hareta reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out the badge case, opening it to show her the Zephyr and Hive Badges, saying, "I met a great new friend named Gold, and so far, we've won the Zephyr Badge from Falkner and the Hive Badge from our friend Bugsy! And I've also got another new friend!" At this, Cyndaquil gave a 'Quil!' and waved to Hareta's mom. She looked at Cyndaquil and said, "Aw, what a cute little Pokémon! When did you get your new friend?" As he put the case away, Hareta said, "A few days ago, just after Gold and I won the Hive Badge and Cyndaquil's Trainer abandoned it."

Johanna asked, worried, "Cyndaquil was abandoned by its Trainer?" Hareta nodded and said, "Yeah. He's a mean guy who's only concerned with being powerful and didn't care for Cyndaquil's feelings. That's why I decided to give Cyndaquil the chance to travel and still be itself! And everyone has been great with welcoming Cyndaquil and making it feel comfortable!" Johanna smiled and said, "I see. Of course, it's not surprising either that you would want to help a troubled Pokémon. You've loved Pokémon ever since you were a baby, after all. I'm glad to hear you're making new friends and you're all looking out for each other. Your father will be pleased too when he hears about this." At this, Hareta asked, "Is dad around right now?" She replied, "No, sorry honey. He left yesterday, though that's typical of him. I'll be sure to let him know next time he finds time to come home, okay?" Hareta nodded and said, "Okay, great!" He then looked back over at the reception desk and noticed that Gold and Kotone were done talking to Nurse Joy and were coming over, so he said, "Looks like we're just about ready to leave, so I'll call you next time I stop at a Pokémon Center, okay mom?" Johanna nodded and said, "Of course, dear. Be careful along the way, though." Hareta replied, "Right, mom. I love you." She said, "I love you too, dear. 'Bye." And with that, they both hung up.

Hareta turned around to face Gold and Kotone and asked, "What's up, guys?" Kotone said, "We were just going to ask if you were almost ready to leave once you were done on the phone." Hareta replied, "We're ready to go. Right guys?" At this, both Cyndaquil and Minun said that they were, so Hareta picked his backpack up off of the floor, put it on his back, and they headed for the doors, saying goodbye to Nurse Joy as they went. As they left, a man with short blue hair, a woman with long magenta hair, and a Meowth took notice of the group.

Walking through Azalea Town, they soon found the gate that was connected to Ilex Forest. Upon entry, however, they were stopped by the guard, who asked, "Would any of you happen to be Pokémon Trainers?" Everyone replied that they were and asked why, so the guard explained, "I'm afraid we've got a little situation going on in Ilex Forest right now. I need to make sure that, until it clears up, everyone is able to handle themselves if trouble happens." Kotone asked, "What's going on?" The guard explained, "For some reason, just last night, massive thorny vines just started to cover the forest, wrapping around trees and making it extremely difficult to get through. Reports suggest that it might be caused by a Pokémon, but there's no confirmation at this time." Gold said, "So that's why you wanted to know if we're Pokémon Trainers." The guard nodded and said, "Yes. And since you are, I will allow you to pass, as long as you promise to return immediately if something goes wrong." The trio agreed and began to move towards the entrance of the forest.

**Ilex Forest**

As they walked through the doors, Hareta, Gold, and Kotone instantly took note of how dark it was in the forest due to the trees blocking out most of the sun. Looking to the side, Hareta noticed a boy nearby who seemed to be worried about something, as he said, "Oh man... My boss is going to be steaming..." Walking over, he asked, "Hey, what's the matter?" As Gold and Kotone came over, the boy said, "See, the Farfetch'd that cuts trees for charcoal took off into the forest earlier. I can't go looking for it here because it's too big, dark, and scary for me... And those vines growing up ahead don't make me feel any more comfortable..."

While they were talking, Hareta suddenly heard something land at their feet, and looked to see a small twig sticking out of the ground. Looking up at where it came from, everyone noticed a Treecko sitting on the branches of a tree across from them. "Hey, isn't that a Treecko?" Gold asked. "A Treecko? I've never heard of one before!" Hareta said, excited. The Treecko spoke in its native language, "(I don't know what you humans are doing here, but you'd better not be searching for the time-traveler. I'm not going to let anyone near him until he has recovered, and I'll do whatever it takes to protect him.)" Hareta was confused by what the Treecko said and asked, "Time-traveler? Who's that?" Both Kotone and Gold wondered how Hareta knew what the Treecko was saying, but were also curious who this time-traveler was. The Treecko said, "(You don't know about the time-traveler? Hmm... I guess you're okay then. I'll leave you alone, but you'd better not come after me.)" Cyndaquil spoke, "(But why? Hareta isn't going to hurt anyone. Maybe he can help you.)" The Treecko simply looked away and said, "(It would be nice if the time-traveler could heal sooner, but I can't take the risk that something unfortunate could happen. Good day to you all.)"

After saying this, the Treecko stood up and began to leap from tree to tree, grabbing onto branches and moving quickly. Hareta, all the more excited by Treecko's fast movements, suddenly took off running after it, Minun and Cyndaquil following along closely. Gold and Kotone weren't as fast and could only watch as Hareta took off into the forest. Kotone asked, "What was that all about?" Gold shrugged and said, "Beats me. I haven't seen him do that before. But maybe if we go looking for him, we can find the missing Farfetch'd too. It's at least worth a look, right?" Kotone and the Pokémon nodded, and were about to head off when the boy said, "Wait a second!" Turning back to him, the boy continued, "You should let my Pichu go with you. It came from this forest and knows the way around, so it can help you search." They agreed to this, so the boy threw the Poké Ball and released a Pichu that had the same coloring as a Pikachu! "Hey, that Pichu looks a little different from some of the ones I've seen before," Gold commented. The boy explained, "He's a shiny Pichu. You know, a Pokémon with an unusual color. We like to call him the Pikachu-Colored Pichu." During this talk, Gold and Kotone's Pokémon introduced themselves to Pichu, who was happy to meet them. With Pichu leading the way, Gold, Kotone, and their Pokemon set out to search for the missing Farfetch'd and Hareta.

Meanwhile, hidden in the trees, the trio that was watching Gold's group earlier was spying on them. "That smaller kid mentioned something about a time-traveler, didn't he?" the blue haired man asked. "Yeah, that Treecko said that it was protecting it until it fully recovered," the Meowth said in human English. "So all we have to do is find both of them, capture this time-traveler while it's weak, and we'll finally be on easy street!" the woman with the long magenta hair said. "Alright Jessie and James, let's go track down the littlest of those three brats!" Meowth said. They all agreed and then dropped down from the tree quietly, sneaking off to find Hareta.

**Elsewhere in Ilex Forest**

Suspecting that the human following him might be after his friend after all, Treecko attempted to make use of the thorny vines to slow him down, but amazingly, the human was extremely agile, following his path and mimicking his moves so well that if it weren't for the obvious, he might've thought that this human was really a Pokémon, possibly a Grovyle or similarly skilled Pokemon.

Soon, he came to a mass of vines, which curled around the heart of Ilex Forest, making a massive barrier that even a fire would have a hard time breaking down. Even with as quick as the human was, Treecko was confident that he wouldn't be able to get through, due to the only opening being small enough for him to fit through. As he climbed through this small hole, Hareta and his Pokémon arrived at the wall of vines, seeing Treecko disappear through a small opening in the side. Even though he knew Treecko wanted to protect his friend, Hareta really admired him for that and wanted to prove that he was no harm to the Treecko. Calling upon Geodude, he began to dig alongside his rocky friend while Cyndaquil and Minun stayed back to avoid getting pelted with dirt.

**Within the vines**

Treecko climbed down the vines, carefully dodging the pointy thorns. At the bottom, he found his friend lying on a cushy piece of grass. His friend was a Celebi, and he had been badly hurt after a dangerous incident that occurred in the past. Celebi had been at the forest before, due to the connection he had with the shrine that was close to where he was resting, so it was common to see him. On one occasion, he had met Treecko and the two had become close friends. But last night was the only time Treecko had ever seen his friend injured before, so he worried greatly. Because of that, even though Celebi assured him that the vines that formed a natural defense would be enough to keep him safe, Treecko insisted that he would not leave the forest like he occasionally did until Celebi was better, vowing to guard him until his injuries had healed.

Celebi looked up at Treecko as he came over and said, "(You look like someone was chasing you. Did something happen?)" Treecko replied, "(Sort of. I saw a group of young humans at the entrance to the forest. One of them seemed to be able to understand me. I wasn't sure what they wanted, although the Cyndaquil with that human claimed that he would be willing to help. But I couldn't take the risk that it was a lie, or that one of his companions weren't like the human she said could help.)" Celebi sighed and said, "(Treecko, you seriously worry too much. Even if someone were to get that close to me, you know my power allows me to travel through time. I can also use it to elude capture if they tried anything, even as I am.)" Treecko knelt down next to Celebi and said, "(Yes, you've told me before, but what if you weren't quick enough? What if they found a way to expose you? You're revered as the guardian of this forest, and you're my friend. I couldn't forgive myself if I let anything happen to you.)"

Before either of them could continue, they became aware that part of the ground near them was starting to move a bit. Suddenly the ground burst, revealing Hareta and Geodude, who had tunneled their way under the vines! Both Treecko and Celebi stared in shock as they pulled themselves out of the hole, Cyndaquil and Minun following shortly afterwards. Soon, Treecko took on a battle stance, growling, "(I don't know how you managed to dig your way underneath the vines, but this is the only time I'm going to tell you this. Get back down that hole and fill it up, or I'll make you wish you never came to this forest!)" Hareta held up his hands and said, "Hey, take it easy a moment! I'm sorry I just let myself in here without being given permission, but I want to help your friend!" Treecko suspected the worst and said, "(Oh yeah? Just how do you intend to help?! By taking Celebi out of the forest?!)" Minun spoke up, "(No, you've got it all wrong!)" Cyndaquil added, "(Hareta really cares! He'll show you if you only give him a chance!)" Treecko got down on his hands and said, "(He wouldn't have had to dig himself in with you three if he wanted to help! Now get out of here or I'll...)" He was cut off in mid-sentence as Celebi shouted, "(TREECKO!!)" The Grass-type jumped at this and slowly turned back to his friend, who was standing up, angry and tapping his foot. He said, "(His friends believe in him. Will you just give him one chance to prove that he's not lying?)" Treecko thought a moment, then relented by saying, "(...Okay Celebi.)"

Treecko moved out of the way slightly as Hareta walked over and crouched in front of Celebi. Looking the Pokémon over, he asked, "What happened? Did someone try to capture you?" Celebi replied, "(Not quite. During one of my time travels, I came upon a forest on fire and summoned my vines to put it out. It worked, but I also got hurt by some of the stray embers. I still had enough strength to open the time vortex, allowing me to travel to this time. I then called upon the vines again, this time to shield me while I recovered. But the burn marks are going to take a while to heal.)" Hareta took his backpack off, speaking as he searched the pockets, "Now I see the problem. I can see why a good friend like Treecko would be concerned for you." He then pulled two berries out of one of the pockets and said, "But these should really help you. First, a Rawst Berry to help your burns heal, and this Sitrus Berry ought to really perk you up quickly!" Celebi first ate the Rawst Berry, feeling the burns start to fade through the bitter taste, and then ate the sweet Sitrus Berry, which made the rest of the marks vanish. Feeling rejuvenated, Celebi lifted into the air and began to do a few aerial flips, happy to be feeling better.

As Celebi danced, Treecko came up to Hareta and said, "(Hey, uh, Hareta? I'm sorry about suspecting you earlier...)" Hareta patted him lightly on the back and said, "It's alright. You were just trying to protect your friend from being hurt further or taken away. I can't blame you for that." Treecko was a bit surprised that Hareta could forgive him so easily, but was glad Hareta wasn't mad at him for protecting Celebi.

**Meanwhile, in another part of the forest**

Pichu had managed to locate the missing Farfetch'd, finding its trail shortly after the group began their search. They soon managed to track it down, but for some reason, it began to try to loop them, flying around the forest as if attempting to confuse them.

After managing to catch up to Farfetch'd at one point, Pichu and Farfetch'd began a conversation, while Gold and Kotone could only watch on as their Pokémon joined the conversation. "What are they talking about?" Gold wondered out loud. "Whatever it is, it must be important, since Farfetch'd keeps looking over at those vines in the middle of the forest," Kotone said. Suddenly, Chikorita and Totodile called for their Trainers to follow them, then turned to follow Pichu, Pikachu, and Farfetch'd. As they started running, Gold and Kotone quickly followed after, staying right behind them as they ran.

**And in another part of the forest**

"Come on, you two loafing nitwits! We've got a fortune to track down!" Jessie yelled at James and Meowth, who were lagging behind. "But Jessie, we have no idea where that little kid went. He might not even be in this forest anymore," James groaned. "He's right. And I'm getting tired of this walking around aimlessly," Meowth added.

"IF YOU TWO DON'T PUT A CORK IN IT NOW, YOU'LL BOTH BE TAKING A VERY LONG NAP!!" Jessie yelled at them, scaring away some of the Pokémon in the trees. Knowing there was no arguing with Jessie when she was like this, James and Meowth tried to pick up the pace so she might not yell at them again.

**Ilex Shrine**

After Celebi came back down to have a seat, Hareta checked his Pokédex to see that Celebi was indeed called the Time Travel Pokémon. "Wow Celebi, I didn't know there was a Pokémon able to travel through time. I thought time was completely controlled by Dialga," he said. Celebi asked, "(Oh, you know about Dialga?)" Hareta nodded and said, "Yep. I even met Dialga once or twice! That was a while ago, but I still remember meeting Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina." Treecko asked, "(How did you manage to meet the Pokémon gods?)" Hareta replied, "It's kind of a long story. Let's just say some people thought they could take control of powers they never had a chance controlling in the first place and had to be stopped."

Celebi nodded and said, "(I have a feeling that the gods must really trust you. And I don't blame them. You're definitely someone who can be trusted.)" Hareta blushed a bit, embarrassed that Celebi was talking that way about him. Celebi then asked, "(Would you like to see my time travel abilities in action? You, Treecko, and all of your Pokémon, Hareta?)" They were all a bit surprised, Hareta asking if Celebi was sure that was okay. Celebi simply replied that it was and, after taking a moment to recall the thorny vines, suddenly began to glow brightly as the area around Hareta, Treecko, Cyndaquil, Minun, and Geodude began to warp. A bright flash appeared, and as it faded, they were all gone!

After the flash faded, Gold, Kotone, and all the Pokémon arrived at the shrine to find that there was nothing there. The Pokémon were a bit confused, since they could sense that Celebi was recovering near the shrine, protected by its vines, yet now all the vines were gone, and so was Celebi.

"I wonder what happened here. What could've caused that flash?" Kotone asked, looking around. "It's weird, all right. I wonder if it has anything to do with this shrine?" Gold wondered. As he examined the shrine closely, he suddenly heard the sound of small footsteps. Suddenly, from behind the shrine, another Pichu appeared! However, this one looked similar to a normal colored Pichu, although it's left ear seemed to be spiky at the end.

Coming out from behind the shrine, the Spiky-Eared Pichu started running around everyone, soon coming close to Gold and jumping up and down in front of him excitedly. The Pikachu-Colored Pichu looked at the Spiky-Eared Pichu, and all of a sudden, the two began to play together, running around chasing each other and dancing together. After a little while of this, they came back over to the group, the Pikachu-Colored Pichu knowing that they had to take Farfetch'd back, while the Spiky-Eared Pichu had taken a liking to Gold. So, she came back over to Gold and began asking him to allow her to come with. Understanding what the Pichu wanted, Gold pulled out an empty Poké Ball, to which she willingly pressed the button and allowed herself to be captured. During this, the Pikachu-Colored Pichu asked Farfetch'd if it would be willing to come back to Azalea Town now, to which it nodded. Although they were worried about Hareta, Gold and Kotone knew they had to make sure the Farfetch'd was taken back to the boy so that his boss wouldn't be angry. They had to make sure it got back safely, then they could focus all of their efforts on finding Hareta. They just hoped he was alright, wherever he was.

**Route 22, the Kanto region**

Hareta opened his eyes as the flash faded from his vision, looking around a bit as it seemed that Ilex Forest had disappeared. "(Where are we?)" Minun asked, looking around as well. Hareta pulled up his left arm and began to shuffle through the various apps on his Pokétch to try to figure that out. As he went through them, he saw that the Marking Map now showed the map of Kanto, and the Calendar seemed to have gone back three years. "That's odd... For some reason, my Pokétch says that the date is three years ago," he said. "(Of course! Even your Pokétch is affected by my time travel abilities,)" Celebi said. Turning to Celebi, Hareta said, "Wow, Celebi! You really did take us back in time, didn't you? That's so cool!" Suddenly, everyone began to hear the sound of voices coming from nearby. Recalling Geodude, Hareta had Cyndaquil and Minun sit on his shoulders as he, Treecko, and Celebi moved into the grass near the rise where the voices seemed to be coming from. As they peered up over the edge, Hareta could swear one of the figures was Silver.

Silver approached a man who had his back turned and was wearing a black overcoat that hid his appearance completely from view and said, "Number one... You said you were going to be the strongest in the world! Are you just going to quit?! What are you going to do from now on?!" The man turned around to face Silver and, after a moment of silence, said, "If you cannot accept your loss, then you cannot move forward... In order to create an even stronger organization, I shall now be alone." Silver stomped a foot and yelled, "What do you mean, strong! Even though you had so many under you, you lost to TWO kids!!"

The man spoke, "By gathering a large amount of people, you gain great power; that is what an organization is... That is the power of an organization!" Looking down, he continued, "I've failed my underlings...! One day, I will make sure to revive Team Rocket!" Stepping right up to the man, Silver said, "I don't understand! I don't get what you're saying at all, dad!" Hareta, Cyndaquil, and Minun silently gasped at this, surprised that Silver's father was the leader of Team Rocket. "_Is that why he hates Team Rocket so much?_" Hareta wondered to himself.

Turning around, the man calmly replied, "There will come a time when you'll understand..." He then began to walk away from Silver, his hands in his pockets as he left. Taking a step forward, Silver shouted, "I don't ever want to know! I don't want to become like you! I won't ever allow myself to become so weak as to rely on others to be strong! I'll become strong all by myself!" Taking another step forward, he yelled, "All by myself...!" With that, Silver began to walk in the opposite direction of his father, walking across the rise that Hareta, Treecko, Celebi, Cyndaquil, and Minun were listening to the conversation next to. Walking down the stairs and towards Viridian City, Silver growled, "I'll show him... I'll prove to him and the whole world that relying on others and believing in the weak will get you nowhere..." With that, Silver left their sight.

Treecko asked, "(What's his problem?)" Hareta said, "Don't ask. I'm not entirely sure myself, though I think I'm starting to get an idea." Minun looked at Hareta and said, "(Didn't that creepy guy Silver was talking to say something about reviving Team Rocket?)" Hareta replied, "Yeah, I heard that too. Since Gold said that Team Rocket was beaten three years ago by a pair of Trainers from Kanto, this must be when they disbanded." Celebi nodded and said,"(It would appear so. And it would appear that boy has been crushed by the failure of his father's organization. I only hope he can come to realize he's mistaken about not believing in others.)" Hareta nodded, hoping that Silver would eventually come to see that too. Suddenly, Celebi did a short hop, gave a bright flash, and the area around them began to warp again from the time travel, a bright flash appearing and fading away, the group having once again disappeared.

**Azalea Town, the Charcoal Maker's house**

"Ah, so you kids managed to find my Farfetch'd? Without it, we wouldn't be able to cut trees to make charcoal with. Thanks, kids!" the Charcoal Maker said to Gold and Kotone. His apprentice also thanked them by giving them some Charcoal he made, telling them that a Fire-type Pokémon would be happy to have it.

The Charcoal Maker then said, "That's a fine piece of Charcoal you've got there. Would you like to see how we make it?" Gold and Kotone both shook their heads, Gold saying, "I'm sorry, but we can't. Our friend is still in the forest somewhere, and we have to find him." The Charcoal Maker asked, "What happened? Did he get lost?" After Gold and Kotone explained what had happened, he said, "Hmm, that must be the same Treecko a lot of people here have seen when they go into the forest. But I'm more concerned that he may have run into the Pokémon connected to the Ilex Shrine." His apprentice asked, "Sir, you don't mean he might have run into the Celebi that has been seen at the shrine before?" He replied, "Yes I do. Come with me, all of you! We must search the forest and see if we can find any trace of him!" Understanding the situation, Gold and Kotone quickly followed the Charcoal Maker out the door and back to the forest, their Pokémon, the maker's apprentice, and the Pikachu-Colored Pichu close behind.

**Tohjo Falls**

Once again, the light from the flash faded from everyone's vision, allowing them to see that they were in a small cave. Turning around, they saw the same man that Silver had been arguing with looking at a radio on the ground next to him. The man turned around upon hearing their footsteps and, after looking over them a moment, said, "I don't know what you've come here for, but this is no place for a child like you to be." Hareta asked, "Yeah? Then what are you doing here? And what's that radio over there for?"

The man took a step towards Hareta and said, "Your appearance resembles that of a young boy who, along with a girl who was his friend, stood in my way three years ago... You have the same kind of look in your eyes as they did..." After a moment, he asked, "Are you going to stop me from going to Goldenrod City to answer the call of my comrades!?"

Hareta asked, "Three years ago? Goldenrod City? What?" After thinking about it a moment, he realized that the man was indeed the Team Rocket Leader who left Silver three years ago, and now was saying that he was planning to meet up with the revived Team Rocket! His suspicions were confirmed when the radio began to play an unusual broadcast, as it said, ".......Ahem, we are Team Rocket! After three years of preparation, we have risen again from the ashes! Giovanni! Can you hear us? We did it!..." Turning back to Hareta, Giovanni removed his hat and said, "My former comrades need me. I won't let the mistakes of three years ago happen again! Team Rocket will be reborn, and the world will be mine!" Hareta glared at him and said, "If you want to meet up with them, you're going to have to get past me first!" Giovanni sneered and said, "Very well. Just remember, you brought this on yourself!"

After saying this, Giovanni released a Nidoking, the Poison and Ground-type towering over Hareta and the other Pokémon. Hareta grabbed one of his Poké Balls and called, "Go, Regigigas!" At his call, the Colossal Pokémon appeared in front of Nidoking. Having heard of Regigigas and thinking he could take advantage of its Slow Start ability, Giovanni had Nidoking strike at it with quick attacks, seeing as Regigigas was not fast enough at the moment to defend itself. Although it looked like Regigigas would be taken out soon, it suddenly dodged a Horn Drill from Nidoking and, at Hareta's call, slammed it with a Zen Headbutt! The attack threw Nidoking off and made it scared to attack again. Hareta then called for Regigigas to follow up with an Ice Punch, which both froze and knocked out Nidoking!

Giovanni growled and returned Nidoking to its Poké Ball, wondering how this boy managed to capture and command a Legendary Pokémon so easily. He decided to send his Honchkrow out next, knowing that even in the small cave, it would be hard to hit. Hareta decided to recall Regigigas and let it rest, sending out Luxray to replace it. Hareta started out by having Luxray use Charge to increase its Electric attacks. Giovanni, meanwhile, had his Honchkrow prepare a Sky Attack, the Pokemon flying up and gathering energy for its attack. Soon, it began to charge down at Luxray as a glowing streak of white, intending to throw it off and finish it while it was vulnerable. However, Luxray's X-ray eyes allowed it to see where the most dangerous part of the attack was and dodge before Honchkrow could hit, launching a Thunder attack as it attempted to flip around and attack. The attack was powerful enough to faint Honchkrow in one hit!

Giovanni could not begin to fathom how this boy, seemingly younger than the two who faced him three years ago, could be so strong. He recalled his Honchkrow and sent out his Kangaskhan. Hareta remembered the time he and Deoxys had faced off against Mars' Kangaskhan and wondered what sort of moves Giovanni's knew. He decided to play type matchups, so he recalled Luxray and sent out Lucario to battle Kangaskhan. It led off with a Sucker Punch when Lucario attempted to use Focus Punch, which threw it off and made Lucario unable to attack. Giovanni then ordered a Dizzy Punch, so Hareta retaliated by having Lucario use Extremespeed. Using this move, Lucario began to dart around the rocks in the room dodging Kangaskhan's attack and slamming into it. Giovanni then ordered an Outrage attack, and Hareta worried that what happened back in Veilstone City would happen here as well if Kangaskhan wasn't knocked out. So he quickly had Lucario stop Kangaskhan's attack with an Aura Sphere, then had it move in for a Close Combat attack, which knocked it out.

Giovanni growled, feeling the memories of the old Team Rocket base in the Celadon Game Corner, the Silph Co. takeover, and the Viridian Gym resurface. Running out of patience, he sent out his last Pokémon, a Nidoqueen. Hareta decided that it was time to put an end to this fight, so he recalled Lucario and sent out his first Pokémon and best friend, Empoleon! Giovanni ordered Nidoqueen to attack with Earth Power, the splitting of the ground and the energy coming from it hurting Empoleon, then quickly had it follow up with Superpower, Nidoqueen being surrounded by a blue glow and picking up Empoleon and throwing it. Despite the damage, Empoleon slid across the ground on its feet, having been raised tough through all the battles it had been through with Hareta. Once Empoleon was ready, Hareta called for a Hydro Pump, the sheer power behind the attack hitting Nidoqueen and making it faint.

Recalling his Pokemon, Giovanni walked towards one of the walls and, while staring at it, spoke, "Why?! Have these three years just been a waste of time...? To think that I have once again been beaten by a mere kid! Team Rocket's great dream is becoming an illusion and fading away..." With that, he walked around Hareta and the Pokémon and left the cave. They turned and looked where he had left. Suddenly, they heard his voice say, "...As long as you do not know your own power, you're still a child... Don't forget that..."

As they continued to look out the opening, they heard the radio ask, "Where is our boss? Is he listening?" Hareta walked over to the radio and shut it off, saying, "They can keep this going for as long as they want, but it's clear that he won't be coming back now." After standing up, he walked back over to Empoleon and asked, "You feeling alright buddy?" At Empoleon's affirmation, Hareta pulled out the Poké Ball and said, "Thanks for helping in that battle. Here, you should take a long rest." He then recalled Empoleon, the red beam pulling it back inside the Poké Ball.

As he put the Poké Ball away, Hareta realized something and said, "Wait... Are we back in the present or is this in the future?" Celebi said, "(I believe it's in the near future. Why?)" Hareta said, "If Team Rocket is going to take over the radio tower, someone has to stop them, even if Giovanni isn't going to return! They could still try to hurt Pokémon and continue searching for him so they can rule the world!" Treecko looked at Celebi and said, "(He's got a point, Celebi. We should return to our proper time just to make sure this Team Rocket's efforts are stopped for good!)" Celebi nodded and said, "(Right! Hang on! I'll get us back to the proper time in Ilex Forest!)" With that, Celebi began to glow once again, the cave warping around them as one last bright flash appeared and caused them to disappear.

**Ilex Forest: Ilex Shrine**

Feeling the soft ground underneath him, Hareta looked around to see that they were back in the Ilex Forest, back where their mysterious adventure had started. Turning to Celebi, he said, "Thanks for bringing us back, Celebi. It was fun seeing your time travel abilities in action!" Celebi replied, "(It was no problem at all. And now that I've recovered, I should probably be going soon.)"

At this, Treecko asked, "(You're leaving already?! But... I want to come with you! Now that I've seen you time travel, I want to do more traveling and see the world!)" Celebi floated down to him and said, "(You've always been so nice, Treecko. But I'm afraid that undergoing repeated time travels might affect your body in some way. And besides, you don't need me to be able to travel and see the world.)" At Treecko's questioning look, Celebi pointed to Hareta and said, "(Hareta has proven that he truly cares for others, and he loves to travel himself. Traveling with him will allow you to do the same, and it would be more fun to run into each other if we travel separately. Wouldn't that be better?)" Treecko thought a moment, then said, "(I guess it would be. But how would we run into each other?)" Celebi smiled and said, "(Did you forget? I don't exactly leave a time zone right away, and I always like to visit any friends I have that are nearby. Being some of the best friends I've ever had, you can bet I will make sure to see you and Hareta whenever I get a chance. So is it okay now?)"

Treecko thought a moment, then turned to Hareta and asked, "(You heard everything, right?)" At Hareta's nod, Treecko said, "(I'm sure traveling with you would be fun, and it would be nice to travel with a group instead of traveling alone, but...)" At this, he got into a battle stance again and said, "(If you want me to travel with you, you and your friends are going to have to prove your strength to me!)" Seeing that Treecko was asking for a battle, Hareta replied, "Okay! You're on!" Celebi smiled and said, "(I have to see this. It seems there are others approaching here, but I'll be watching from up in the trees. Give it your all, both of you!)"

**Near the shrine**

Gold, Kotone, and the others were running through the forest, following the Charcoal Maker as he led them to the shrine. They had seen a bright flash coming from it and needed to see what it was. Soon, they rounded a tree near the shrine and Gold called, "Hey, look!" Kotone added, "Looks like Hareta is about to battle!" She said this because Hareta's Misdreavus was out and staring down Treecko.

Hareta called, "Misdreavus, use Thunderbolt attack!" The Screech Pokémon floated up a bit and began to release a series of Thunderbolts, Treecko leaping away to dodge them, though he did get zapped by the last one. He shook it off however, and began to charge up an Energy Ball. Misdreavus countered this with a Shadow Ball, which created an explosion from the two attacks.

Hareta thought, "_Gotta try something else. This isn't over yet._" He called, "Misdreavus, use Night Shade!" Misdreavus charged up energy in its eyes, then released a beam that was completely black. Instead of countering it, Treecko jumped into the air. Seeing his chance, Hareta called for another Thunderbolt. When this one hit Treecko, it had a huge impact, as Treecko was clearly affected by it! After a few moments of the attack, Treecko dropped to the ground, temporarily knocked out by the attack.

Off on the sides of the field, Gold asked, "How did Thunderbolt have such an effect on a Grass-type?" The Charcoal Maker said, "I can explain that. You see, Pokémon that are strong against electricity are usually like that because they can diffuse it into trees or the ground. But unless they're attached to the ground in some way, they can't do that in midair. It's that kind of knowledge that makes a good Pokémon Trainer." Gold nodded, understanding and impressed.

Grabbing an empty Poké Ball, Hareta threw it shouting, "Go!" The Poké Ball tapped Treecko and pulled him inside. The red light on the button began to blink as the ball started shaking. Everyone watched attentively, waiting to see if Hareta managed to catch Treecko. After watching for a few moments, the light switched off, giving a "ding" as it stopped shaking. Hareta ran over to it, picked it up, and gave off his signature victory pose as he said, "Yes! We caught Treecko!" Misdreavus, Cyndaquil, and Minun also posed with him as he did.

**Later...**

After making sure that Hareta was okay and seeing that Celebi was seemingly not in the area, Hareta, Gold, and Kotone said their goodbyes to the Charcoal Maker and his apprentice, Minun sitting atop Hareta's head while Treecko and Cyndaquil were on his shoulders. Gold, meanwhile, had Pikachu on his head and the Spiky-Eared Pichu and Chikorita on his shoulders, while Kotone had Totodile on her shoulder. As they walked further into the forest, Hareta and his Pokémon did a secret wave to Celebi so as not to alert anyone else to his presence.

A bit later, Kotone asked, "Hey Hareta, what happened while you were in the forest?" He replied, "It's kind of a long story. Maybe I'll tell you about it... Some other time!" He then began to giggle, followed by his Pokémon giggling at his little joke. Gold, Kotone, and their Pokémon looked at each other, confused on why they were laughing. After a little bit of this, they stopped and Hareta thought, "_But that takeover of a radio tower... At what point in the future is that going to happen?_" Nevertheless, they continued on their way through the forest, towards the daycare on Route 34 and Goldenrod City.

**Somewhere in the forest**

Jessie, James, and Meowth were passed out on the ground, having given up on trying to find Celebi and Hareta. As they slept, they talked in their sleep, their dreams being about getting rich by selling Celebi for a profit and being able to retire to a secluded island that they had bought with their fortune.

* * *

Music:

Time in Azalea Town- Clock Town Third Day (The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask)

Entrance to Ilex Forest- Sector 1 (Metroid Fusion)

Travel to the Past- Time Travel (Ecco the Dolphin)

Father-Son Argument- Mayor's Meeting (The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask)

Battle with Giovanni- Commander Battle (Pokémon DPPt)

Return to the Present- Time Travel (Ecco: The Tides of Time)

Treecko Battle- Wild Pokémon (Pokémon RSE)

New Team Member- Victory! (Final Fantasy X)

Please read and review! See you next time!


	9. Veteran in the Group

Following the time travel journey with Celebi and the addition of Treecko to Hareta's party, Hareta, Gold, Kotone, and their Pokémon continued onward through the Ilex Forest, stopping for the night when it began to get late. The rest of the trip through the forest took another day, and during that night, Kotone caught a Hoothoot that was near their campsite.

The following morning, they found the gate that was connected to Route 34 after a little more wandering around. After stopping to talk with the guard, they continued to the other side and into the warm sunlight, heading for the Daycare Center just up the road a bit. Along the way, they encountered several Trainers, giving each of them a chance to let their new Pokémon get some time battling, Cyndaquil, Treecko, the Spiky-Eared Pichu, and Hoothoot winning their battles and getting closer to their Trainers.

Afterwards, they arrived at the adequately-sized building that was home to Kotone's grandparents. Hareta asked, "What do your grandparents do, Kotone?" She replied, "You know how a lot of Trainers usually catch lots of Pokémon, but they're only able to carry so many at a time? Well, my grandparents will help these Trainers by taking care of their Pokémon and raising them themselves. It's handy for anyone who doesn't have time to travel or, like I said, owns a lot of Pokémon." Hareta nodded, understanding. Gold said, "You've always had nice things to say about them, Kotone. I've been waiting for the chance to meet them for a while now." Kotone nodded and said, "Well, I'm sure they'll be happy to see me and meet you and Hareta, Gold. I haven't been here in a while, after all." With that, she walked up to the front door and knocked.

After waiting a few moments, an elderly man answered the door, saying, "Hello?" Kotone happily said, "Hi, Grandpa! It's me, Kotone!" The man looked at her and said, "Oh, Kotone! It's so good to see you, sweetie! We were beginning to get worried these past few days that something had happened." She replied, "Sorry about that, Grandpa. But I ran into my friend Gold and his new friend Hareta when I made it to Azalea Town and decided to stick with them." As she spoke, she gestured to both Hareta and Gold. Her grandfather looked at both boys and said, "Ah, so this is the Gold we've heard a lot about. How nice to meet you, and your friend too. Please, all of you come on in." With that, he led the way into the Daycare with the trio following behind.

Arriving in the main room, Kotone's grandfather greeted his wife and said that Kotone had arrived. At this, she came out from behind the counter and gave her granddaughter a big hug. After she returned the hug and introduced Gold and Hareta, Kotone asked her grandma if there were any Pokémon being cared for at the moment. "Yes, dear, you chose the right time to come and visit us. We're currently caring for a Sandshrew that's owned by a School Kid who lives in Goldenrod City up the road. I know how much you love to see us care for Pokémon," she replied. They walked into the backyard to see a Sandshrew who was running around, exercising and practicing its attacks.

Hareta asked, "So while you're taking care of the Pokémon for the Trainers, they gain experience and get a chance to learn and practice new moves?" Kotone's grandfather replied, "That's exactly right, young man. That's why a lot of Trainers come out to see us so their Pokémon get that chance. In addition, we occasionally find eggs mysteriously left with Pokémon sometimes." At this, Kotone remembered the egg that she had in her bag and went back inside to go get it. As she ran back in, her grandparents wondered if something was wrong, since she just ran inside without a word. Gold explained, "No, everything's fine. It's just that Professor Elm asked her to do something while she was visiting."

Soon, she came back outside with the red and blue spotted egg in her arms and brought it over to her grandparents. Holding the egg out to show them, she asked, "Grandma, Grandpa, do you remember when you found this egg some time ago?" Her grandma began to think for a moment, soon replying that she remembered a young woman left a pair of Togetic at the Daycare about a week ago, and that when she came to pick them up, they had discovered that egg. Kotone nodded and said, "She must've delivered it to Mr. Pokémon, since he wanted Professor Elm to look at it. After he did, he asked me to take it with me and see if you knew anything about how it was found. He also wanted it to be taken care of until it hatches." Her grandfather replied, "Well, like your grandmother said, it was there unexpectedly, like someone had put it there while we were getting food for the Togetic. But we'll be sure to take care of it until it hatches!"

Heading back inside, they placed the egg on a table that had several soft towels laid upon it, as well as a stream of sunlight pouring in through a nearby window. Kotone's grandfather also went over to a table that had a small radio atop it and switched it on, looking for a suitable song to listen to. Soon, he settled on a song that had a soft, yet mystic feel to it. Coming back over, he said, "Today is Thursday, so they have the Sinnoh Sound on all day. Have any of you ever heard of all the myths and legends in the Sinnoh region?" Before anyone could say anything, they heard a knocking coming from the front door. Going to the front door in place of her grandparents, Kotone found a young boy with black hair carrying a school bag that seemed to have pencils and notepads sticking out of the top. "Oh, hello. Can I help you?" she asked. "Yes, I think you can. My name is Jerry, and I left my Sandshrew with the old couple that lives here. Do you know where they are?" the School Kid asked. Kotone replied, "Yes, my grandparents are inside, taking care of a Pokémon egg. Come in." So saying, she led Jerry inside.

Once he saw Kotone's grandparents, Jerry walked up to them and said, "Mister, miss, I left my Sandshrew with you a few days ago. Can I have it back now?" Kotone's grandmother replied, "Yes, and it certainly has grown since then. So altogether, that comes to 500 Pokédollars. Is that acceptable?" Reaching into the pocket on his brown pants, Jerry fished out the Pokédollars and paid her. She then walked into the back and came back with Sandshrew in her hands. "Here you go. Be careful on your way home now," she said. Jerry said he would, taking his Sandshrew, carrying it, and was about to leave when he suddenly caught sight of Hareta.

Looking at Hareta carefully, he asked, "Don't I know you?" Hareta shook his head and said, "No, I don't think we've ever met before." Jerry continued looking at Hareta, coming over to him and looking him up and down like he had a spot on his clothes that was hard to see. "I could swear I've seen you somewhere before…" he murmured. He came back to Hareta's front and asked, "Were you ever in a regional tournament anywhere?" Hareta replied, "I was in the Sinnoh League Tournament that was held a while back. The one that was cancelled and then finished for fun." Jerry snapped his fingers and said, "That's where I know you from! You're Hareta! The one who made it to the Top 4 before the stadium was attacked and went on to win that dumb unofficial continuation!" Hareta replied, "Yeah, that's me. But isn't that being a bit harsh? It was a lot of fun, and that's all that matters." Jerry said, "It shouldn't have to be! You still won; they should have declared you Champion!"

Both Gold and Kotone were shocked at the conversation they were having, never realizing until now that Hareta had entered a tournament and gotten so far. "Hareta, you really competed in the Sinnoh League?" Gold asked. Hareta nodded, and Kotone asked, "How come you didn't tell us that?" Hareta shrugged and said, "It never crossed my mind. Besides, we were having a lot of fun together. I didn't want to say or do anything to ruin it." Gold replied, "Are you kidding?! That's awesome! I was away with my mom, so I didn't get to see any part of the tournament, so it's great to hear you went so far!" Kotone added, "Same here! That tournament was going on when my parents took me to see Grandma and Grandpa, so I didn't see it either. But still, the Top 4? That's amazing for your first time!"

Jerry just looked at them uninterested and said, "Yeah, yeah, good for you two. Now stop trying to kiss up to him already." Both Gold and Kotone sent him angry glares, Hareta also looking at him angrily as he said, "They're not doing what you said. We've been traveling together for…" Jerry suddenly turned back to him and cut him off, saying, "Never mind that. Do you have your Pokémon on you? I want to see them!" At this, Gold and Kotone said that they wanted to see them also, and even Kotone's grandparents wanted to see what kind of Pokémon he had been taking care of. Hareta smiled, "I can't fight against the pack, but is there someplace big we could do this? I know one of my Pokémon would break the roof here." Kotone's grandfather said, "Not a problem. We can do it in the backyard, where there's plenty of room." After Hareta picked his backpack up off the floor, they headed for the back door.

Once they got outside, Hareta reached into his backpack and pulled out the 14 Poké Balls that contained his Pokémon. Throwing them all up in the air, he called, "Come on out, guys!" Streams of light shot out of all the Poké Balls, fading away to reveal all of the Pokémon that Hareta had caught so far. His 14 Pokémon were Empoleon, Luxray, Misdreavus, Lucario, Onix, Zubat, Geodude, Regigigas, Bonsly, Kadabra, Chingling, Minun, Cyndaquil, and Treecko!

Everyone was amazed at the sight of Hareta's Pokémon, especially Jerry. He immediately came over to them and began climbing all over them, yanking their arms or tails, and generally getting on their nerves, almost ready to knock him senseless. Gold exclaimed, "Wow, Hareta! Those are some amazing Pokémon you've made friends with!" Kotone added, "Yeah, they look really well-trained and, as we can see, behaved." She was referring to Jerry, who was still climbing all over them, finally being picked up by Kadabra's psychic powers and being set down back near everyone.

Kotone's grandparents came over to the Pokémon and began to check over them, noting that Kotone was right about how well-trained they were. "Hareta, these Pokémon are some of the finest Pokémon that my husband and I have ever seen. Especially your Empoleon," Kotone's grandmother said. "Well, that's not surprising. After all, Empoleon was my first friend, back when he was a Piplup and I was starting out. We didn't get along too good at the beginning, but now we're great friends!" Empoleon nodded and smiled at this to show it was true. As the Pokémon relaxed while Kotone's grandparents checked them over, Gold asked, "What about everyone else? How did you meet them?" Hareta explained, "Luxray was the first Pokémon I caught, back when he was a Shinx, as well as my first Pokémon to evolve. I caught Misdreavus shortly afterward, and I got Chingling when I was traveling to Celestic Town. Lucario hatched as a Riolu from an egg I received during my training on Iron Island, where I caught Zubat, Geodude, and Onix. Regigigas decided to join me after I understood how it felt."

Kotone asked, "What do you mean?" Hareta replied, "Regigigas used to be locked up in the Snowpoint Temple because people were afraid of its power. But I could see that, like me, Regigigas loves to battle. After I found that out, I asked Regigigas if it would join me, and it agreed!" Kotone nodded, so Hareta continued, "On the way back to Veilstone City, I caught both Bonsly and Kadabra. And during the confusion at the Pokemon League, my father gave me the egg that Minun hatched from. And you already know about Cyndaquil and Treecko." Both Gold and Kotone were awed at hearing a little about Hareta's Sinnoh journey.

Jerry suddenly came over to Hareta and said, "Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't you forget about traveling with these two losers and become my personal teacher?" Hareta yelled, "Say what?!" Jerry replied, "C'mon, you're practically a champion, not some lady who reads something out of a book! I'd get better hundreds of times faster if you were my teacher! I'll learn everything you know about raising Pokémon extremely fast and make you proud! What do you say?!"

After everyone recovered somewhat from Jerry's absurd request, Hareta cleared his throat and said, "You push too hard, Jerry, and even if you didn't, the answer would still be no." Jerry got angry and cried, "Why not!?!" Hareta crossed his arms and said, "Three reasons. One, I don't like it when anyone talks about my friends like that. Two, no way am I going to give up traveling yet. And three, most importantly, I can already tell we're not going to get along. You're too obsessed with being famous and not caring for your Pokémon, which is what really counts when you want to be any kind of Pokémon Trainer." Gold, Kotone, and all of Hareta's Pokemon gave a shout to show that Hareta was absolutely right.

Jerry, clearly not paying attention to anything Hareta said, growled, "This is because I don't have any strong Pokémon, isn't it? Well not everyone gets strong Pokémon right away. That's why I'm learning so that I can get to your level in no time. I write notes on how to do so. Do you?" Hareta replied, "Write a note on how to get home, Jerry. My answer is still no." Jerry begged, "Just give me one chance. I'll prove that I'm strong enough to be your pupil." Hareta sighed, "Strength has got nothing to do with this. You're twisting my words around!"

Suddenly, a Buizel burst out of the nearby pond in the backyard, attracted by the music that was still playing on the radio inside. "Check it out! A Buizel!" Kotone exclaimed. Jerry stepped forward and set Sandshrew down, saying, "Great! Now I'll prove to Hareta that I'm strong enough to learn from him! Go Sandshrew!" Sandshrew looked back at him worried, but eventually agreed to battle after Jerry did a little forcing. Jerry ordered Sandshrew to lead off with a Fury Swipes, but Buizel dodged it and launched a Water Gun. Jerry quickly ordered Sandshrew to use Dig, getting out of the way of the attack just in time. Buizel was then thrown for a loop when Sandshrew surfaced right under it! Jerry then had Sandshrew do a Scratch attack, leaving a bit of a cut on Buizel. Unfortunately for Sandshrew, that was what Buizel wanted it to do, suddenly slamming into Sandshrew with an Aqua Jet and following up with a Water Gun, knocking it out!

As Sandshrew struggled to get up, Jerry came over to it and shouted, "What are you doing?! Just because you got hit by a Water-type attack doesn't mean that you quit! You get right back up now!" At this, Hareta walked right up behind him and shouted, "JERRY!!!" Surprised by this shout, Jerry turned around slowly until he was looking at Hareta's angry face. Hareta then continued, "You see that? That's the reason I said we won't get along! You're not thinking about how your Pokémon are feeling in and out of battle! You're being mean to Sandshrew even though it tried its best against an opponent who's a tough match for it!" Jerry stuttered, "But… During the tournament, you and your Pokémon charged into battle like that…" Hareta replied, "That's true, but that's because we really got to understand and trust each other. We fought alongside each other before and we were willing to do so there too because of our bond. That's what's lacking between you and Sandshrew. You forced Sandshrew to challenge Buizel recklessly because of your own desire to be strong, not because you were willing to work together to win. Think about that." Jerry looked down at the ground, realizing that he was indeed the one at fault here.

Gold stepped up, "Man, that's one tough Buizel! There's no way I can miss out on trying to catch it!" So saying, he called for Pidgey to battle against Buizel. Buizel started off by launching a SonicBoom, so Gold called for a Quick Attack, allowing Pidgey to dodge the attack and slam into Buizel. After flying through the air a bit, Buizel tried to fight back with an Aqua Jet, but Gold ordered a Double Team from Pidgey, which confused Buizel. Gold then called for a Wing Attack, Pidgey hitting Buizel, though Buizel responded with its own Quick Attack, throwing Pidgey off. It then used Whirlpool, trapping Pidgey within. As Pidgey struggled to get out, Gold called, "Pidgey, you can do it! Don't give up!" As it heard Gold's words, Pidgey let out a yell and suddenly began to glow!

As the glow got brighter, they began to see it through the water and suddenly, the Whirlpool broke! The glow surrounding Pidgey faded, revealing that Pidgey had evolved into Pidgeotto! With its newfound power, Pidgeotto charged back into the battle as Buizel tried to attack with a Water Gun. Pidgeotto responded by simply charging into the attack and nailing Buizel with a Tackle attack. It then went into an Aerial Ace, swooping up high and flying low towards Buizel. When Buizel tried to counter with an Aqua Jet, Pidgeotto vanished, only to slam into Buizel from the side, defeating it!

With Buizel defeated, Gold grabbed an empty Poké Ball from the pocket on the front of his pullover and threw it at Buizel, causing the Sea Weasel Pokémon to get pulled inside. Everyone watched in anticipation as the ball rattled and the light blinked. It soon stopped, then suddenly started again before stopping again, this time for good. Confident that Buizel was caught this time, Gold ran over and picked the ball up, hugging Pidgeotto and thanking it for doing a great job. While everyone else congratulated Gold on his capture and Pidgeotto's evolution, Jerry thought, "_Is that what my teacher at school was talking about? Is that what makes a truly great Trainer?_"

Afterwards, Jerry apologized to Sandshrew for being mean, as well as Gold and Kotone for what he said and told Hareta he now understood what Hareta was talking about. He then declared he would work hard at school and get strong that way before heading home to Goldenrod City. Hareta, Gold, and Kotone, meanwhile, decided to stay at the Daycare until the Pokemon egg hatched.

**Three days later…**

After waiting three days, the Pokémon egg hatched into a healthy Togepi! Since she had taken care of the egg, Kotone became its Trainer, and she decided to follow Hareta and Gold on their journey towards the Johto League Silver Conference. After saying goodbye to Kotone's grandparents, the trio set out on the road to Goldenrod City, now with Buizel and Togepi as their new traveling buddies!

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Sorry about the wait for this one. I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner. Thanks for reading!


	10. Goldenrod Mishaps

OKay, first off, I'd like to apologize to everyone for how this turned out. I planned for this to feature mostly humor, and I failed miserably. I just hope what follows isn't completely horrible for you.

* * *

Following the events at the Daycare on Route 34, Hareta, Gold, and Kotone continued onward to Goldenrod City, home of the Johto Radio Tower and the Plain Badge. Along the way, having heard a little about Hareta back at the Daycare, both Gold and Kotone were asking him questions as they walked.

"So after the tournament, you went back to living in the forest on Route 201?" Kotone asked. "That's right. I have so many friends back in the forest that I'd only visited before the tournament originally started up, and it's where I grew up. It's always good to go home," Hareta replied. Gold said, "Man, that's really something, spending four years growing up in a forest. And then all the friends you made on your journey got to have fun with those forest Pokémon as well. What happened after that?"

Hareta spoke, "Some time after the tournament, Koya came to see me on business. He told me that even though Team Galactic had been broken up, there were more criminal groups showing up in Sinnoh. He wanted to recruit me into the, uh… Pole-lease?" Gold asked, "You mean police?" Hareta nodded, "Yeah, that. The International Police, which he works for. Anyway, after I got my National Pokedex, Koya, Mitsumi, and I spent the next couple of months tracking down and stopping those groups, along with some other stuff. When we finally called it quits and Mitsumi and I said goodbye to Koya, we headed back for Sandgem Town to see gramps, only to find a note telling us to go to a house in Twinleaf Town. When we got there, a whole bunch of people had gotten together for my 9th birthday! My dad was there and he introduced me to my mom!"

Kotone spoke, "So that's when you met your mom? Wow…" Gold asked, "It's got to be a little disheartening to meet your parents after being separated from them for years though, isn't it?" Hareta shook his head, "Nah, it's not like that. We get along really well, so it's like we were never separated at all. Sure, it would be interesting to see what would've been different if they'd been there when I was younger, but I might not be here right now if that had happened." Kotone nodded, "Well, when you put it that way, it actually does make sense. And that was when you started getting used to living with them like most kids do?" Hareta nodded, then Gold asked, "When did you decide to come to Johto?" Hareta said, "Ah, that. I remember the decision like it was yesterday. Yesterday… Yesterday…" Kotone interjected, "Well, it couldn't have been yesterday." Hareta said, "Wait, I'm setting up a flashback. Yesterday… Yesterday…"

_**Flashback**_

"_GAME!" Hareta was sitting in his room playing the Nintendo Wii that had been there since he started living with his parents, wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans. At that moment, he had been playing Super Smash Brothers Brawl, battling in a free-for-all match against the computers to work on his skills with his favorite videogame hero, having come out on top over them._

_As he watched the victory and results screen pop up, his thoughts began to turn to the time he had spent journeying. Standing up and walking past his Lucario and Kadabra, who were relaxing on the cushions in the room, he went over to the window to take a look out at the sky. He could feel the urge to go out and start another journey, but he wasn't sure where to go. As much as he had enjoyed traveling around Sinnoh and the neighboring island, he also wanted to visit an entirely new region and meet Pokémon that couldn't be found in Sinnoh and make new friends._

_Continuing to watch the clouds go by, he suddenly spotted something flying through the sky. Focusing on it, he could see that it looked like a massive red bird, glittering in all the colors of the rainbow, almost seeming to be on fire as it flew. As it began to leave his vision, he checked the sun to see where it was going, seeing that it was headed to the northwest. He thought, "What's to the northwest of Sinnoh? Gramps is coming over tonight since dad is at home, so I'll ask him. He'll probably know."_

_**Later that night**_

_Johanna and Professor Rowan were sitting on chairs in the living room talking while Hareta and Kaisei were eating their third helping of dinner to satisfy their hunger. Some of Hareta's Pokémon were enjoying the early evening air outside, while the rest were inside, either with Hareta or scattered around the house._

_After finishing up his helping, Hareta decided that that was enough for now, so he cleaned off his dish in the sink and headed for the living room while his father went to prepare some more food. Coming over to where Professor Rowan and his mom were, Hareta hopped onto an ottoman near the table. Johanna looked over at him and said, "Hi honey. Did you get enough to eat?" Hareta replied, "Uh-huh! It was delicious, mom!" As he spoke, his Minun hopped up onto his shoulder and chirped to show that it and the rest of the Pokémon enjoyed their meal as well. Johanna said, "I'm pleased to hear that. Did you want something, or were you just coming over to say hi?"_

_Hareta replied, "Well, I did want to ask something. What's to the northwest of the Sinnoh region?" Professor Rowan spoke, "Hmm. If you went northwest, you would find the Kanto and Johto regions. They're both home to their own respective Pokémon Leagues, as well as Pokémon you don't normally see around here. Why?" Hareta replied, "Well, this afternoon I was thinking about going on another journey when I saw a giant bird heading in that direction!" Johanna asked, "A giant bird? Do you remember what it looked like?" Hareta replied, "Yeah! It was red, but it was shining with all the colors of the rainbow, and it almost looked like it was on fire!"_

_Professor Rowan asked, "All the colors of the rainbow? Did you see if it had a large feathery tail as well?" Hareta nodded, causing the professor to put an hand to his chin. Johanna asked, "Do you know something about a Pokemon like that, professor?" He replied, "Yes, I remember reading about a Pokémon like that in one of my fellow professor's notes. I then did a little research on what I'd read, and found a Pokémon that matched his description perfectly." He turned back to Hareta and said, "Hareta, what you saw was the Rainbow Pokémon, the legendary phoenix Ho-Oh."_

_Hareta asked, "Ho-Oh? What's that?" Professor Rowan replied, "It's a Legendary Pokémon that is spoken of in the Johto region. Long ago, Ho-Oh used to visit the Bell Tower, which was situated in Ecruteak City along with another massive tower known as the Brass Tower. They were built to foster the friendship and hope between humans and Pokemon, and Ho-Oh would roost atop the Bell Tower, while another massive Pokémon roosted atop the Brass Tower. But years after they were built, an unfortunate event occurred."_

_Johanna spoke, "I remember hearing about that legend. Wasn't the Brass Tower struck with a massive lightning bolt?" Professor Rowan nodded, "Yes. The fire caused by the lightning burned for three days before a downpour put out the blaze. But by that time, the tower was already burnt to the ground, three Pokémon having perished in the fire. But Ho-Oh descended from the sky and resurrected them, each of them embodying three powers in relation to the incident. One took on the form of the lightning that struck the tower, one took on the form of the fire that engulfed the tower, and one took on the form of the rain that put out the fire."_

_Hareta asked, "So what happened to that tower, the Pokémon that Ho-Oh resurrected, and Ho-Oh and that other Pokémon?" Professor Rowan replied, "After it had resurrected the Pokémon, Ho-Oh left, as did the Pokémon who perched atop the Brass Tower. The Brass Tower was never restored, though its burnt remains still stand in the tower's original location. No one has seen the Pokémon that used to visit it, or the Pokémon that Ho-Oh resurrected, but Ho-Oh is said to appear to people at times. Some say that it is searching for a human who is pure of heart."_

_Hareta said, "Wow… That's some story, gramps." Professor Rowan nodded, "Yes, it is quite well-known in the Johto region. It's rather steeped in legends and lore, much like Sinnoh." Hareta stood up and said, "Then that settles it! I want to go on a Johto journey and meet new Pokémon there!" Both Johanna and Professor Rowan were a bit surprised at Hareta's sudden decision, though the professor soon smiled and said, "I had a feeling a story like that would be enough to get you to want to travel again." Johanna stood up and said, "Excuse me for a moment." She then turned and left the room, her footsteps being heard as she walked up the stairs in the room over._

_Hareta turned to Professor Rowan and asked, "Is something wrong?" The professor replied, "I don't think so." Johanna soon came back, carrying a pile of clothes with a pair of shoes and a reddish-pink hat on top in her arms, while her Kangaskhan, Jumpy, was carrying a silver-white backpack. She spoke, "I had a feeling you would want to travel again sometime Hareta, so I went out to the store and bought you new clothes and a new backpack. I thought it would be perfect if you decided to go visit a new region." Hareta came over and looked at the clothes she had. They were a red long-sleeved shirt, a blue jacket that had some black on the collar and near the zipper and inside, a pair of black jeans, a white scarf, and the shoes were blue with some white on top._

_He said, "Wow, mom, those clothes look comfy and warm!" Johanna replied, "Of course! I'm not going to get you something if they aren't good for a long journey. Especially if you decide to enter the Johto League Silver Conference." Hareta looked a bit confused, so Professor Rowan explained, "The fastest way to get to Blackthorn City, home of one of the Johto gyms, is to go through the Ice Path. It'll be easier for you to travel if you don't have to carry a big jacket like the one you wore when you went to Snowpoint City." Hareta nodded, understanding. Professor Rowan then said, "To get to Johto, you'll have to take a ship from Canalave City. The trip should take about a day, I believe, so it would be better for you if you could leave early in the morning." Hareta agreed, excited about going to visit a new region._

_The following morning, Hareta gathered up all of his Pokémon into their Poké Balls, put on the new outfit his mom had bought, as well as his new platinum-colored bracelet and Pokétch that he had gotten for his birthday, and went down to eat breakfast. After he was done eating, he grabbed his new backpack, kissed both his mom and dad as he said goodbye, then took off running so he could get to Canalave City to catch the next ship to Johto._

_**End Flashback**_

"So yeah, that's how it happened," Hareta concluded. "Wow, you really saw the legendary Ho-Oh?!" Kotone exclaimed. "Man, it would be awesome if we could see it as well!" Gold added. "I hope we do! Can we make a stop at Ecruteak City at some point? I want to see the towers there!" Hareta said. "Don't worry about that. Ecruteak City has a gym as well, so we'll definitely be stopping there!" Gold said. With that and a joyous exclamation from Hareta, they continued up the road to Goldenrod City.

Soon they arrived at the entrance to the city. As they took in the sights of the largest city in Johto, Hareta remembered that it was home to Johto's Radio Tower. Turning to Kotone, he said, "Hey, Kotone, I heard there's a Radio Tower here. Do you know what it looks like?" Kotone replied, "Sure! My grandparents showed me it one time when I was visiting them. See over that building over there with the big rotating dish on the top?" Hareta scanned the city and saw the building that matched her description, nodding. "That's the Radio Tower," Kotone finished. "Thanks," Hareta replied, then took off running at about the same speed that he had gone when he was chasing Treecko. "_Celebi said that the takeover happens in the near future. Before that happens, I want to make sure I have some idea of what the tower is like,_" Hareta thought as he ran.

Both Gold and Kotone just watched Hareta as he ran off, wondering what was going through his mind. Gold soon said, "I wonder what that was all about." Kotone replied, "Maybe he wants to look around the city for a bit. There are a lot of attractions in addition to the gym and Radio Tower. Like the Magnet Train, the Department Store, and the Underground." Gold asked, "Really? What do you think we should do now?" She said, "Well, my grandparents asked me if I could pick up a new toaster for them, since the one they had shorted out about a day ago. Why don't we split up and do some sightseeing, then meet up later?" Gold nodded, then headed off for the Radio Tower to find Hareta. He also decided to let Chikorita out, letting it sit on his right shoulder since Pikachu was sitting on his left shoulder, like it usually did. Kotone, meanwhile, headed for the Department Store to find a new toaster.

On the fifth floor of the store, a woman with slightly long red hair and yellow earrings was watching Kotone, noting that she was traveling with Hareta and Gold. "Hmm… She's an unknown, but maybe she can be useful," she muttered.

**The Radio Tower**

Hareta arrived at the entrance to the Radio Tower, noting that it seemed to be about five stories in height. Walking inside, he noticed that the main lobby seemed to be pretty cheery, indicating that everything was fine. Deciding to look around a bit while he was there, he walked through the lobby saying hi to anyone who talked to him and headed up to the second floor. Since security prohibited anyone from going up to the third floor, he couldn't see what the rest of the tower was like. But seeing that there was a café on this floor, he decided to grab a little something to snack on, so he got in line behind a girl who had pink hair, a white T-shirt that had some red on it, blue shorts, long blue and black striped socks, and red and white shoes. She seemed to be murmuring to herself, so Hareta asked her if there was something wrong. After that, the two began to strike up a conversation, moving to a table after ordering and receiving their sandwiches and juice. As they talked, Hareta learned that her name was Whitney and she was the Goldenrod City Gym Leader.

A few minutes into their conversation, Gold, Chikorita, and Pikachu came up into the café looking for Hareta. After they found him, they joined Hareta and Whitney in their chatting. They found out that Whitney had been trying to answer all of the questions in a quiz that they were holding downstairs to try and win a Radio Card that could be used in a PokéGear, but was having no success. After Hareta and Whitney finished eating, both Gold and Hareta offered to help win it for her. She thanked them for offering to help, and then they headed downstairs to the front desk to give the quiz a try.

**Meanwhile, at the Goldenrod Department Store**

While Gold and Hareta were working to help Whitney, Kotone arrived on the fifth floor of the Department Store. She had picked up a few traveling essentials while she was on the lower floors, especially the second floor, and was now looking to buy a toaster for her grandparents. In addition to selling TMs, the fifth floor also sold home appliances. Soon, she found the one that her grandparents would like and took it over to the lady at the cash register to pay. As she was doing so, the woman who was watching her earlier thought, "_Perfect. I'll get her just as she's leaving the store._"

In a few minutes, Kotone stood out in the front of the Department Store, the toaster being carried in a shopping bag in her right hand. As she was about to head for Route 34, a female voice called, "Hold on there, darling! You look just fabulous, which means I have got the perfect offer for you!"

Kotone turned around to face the speaker, seeing that it was a woman with slightly long red hair and yellow earrings wearing a purple shirt and a black skirt that went past her knees. Kotone suspected that she was a saleswoman, so she asked, "Do I know you? You're not trying to interest me in a magazine subscription, are you?" The lady walked up to her and threw an arm around her, pulling her to her side as she said, "Such a feisty young lady, aren't you? I'll get straight to the point; I've got a little something here that's just your style dear. It's a special ointment that has amazing properties for your skin!" Kotone asked, "Meaning what exactly?" She replied, "It makes your skin silky smooth! Men won't be able to keep their hands off of you!"

Kotone pushed away from the woman with her free left hand and said, "Okay, thanks a lot! Now when I get where I'm going, I'm going to have to take a shower to wash off the sleaze." She then began to walk out of the city onto Route 34, unaware that the woman was following her. When she was far enough away from Goldenrod City and no one was around, she called, "Wait a moment, cutie! You forgot your free sample!" As Kotone began to angrily turn around, the lady suddenly pulled out what looked like a miniature Super Soaker and pulled the trigger on it, causing it to shoot silk at Kotone, wrapping her up at the torso and pinning her arms to her sides! This caused her to fall and release her grip on the shopping bag, though the toaster didn't break since it was still in its box. She also got some dirt on her clothing as she fell on the ground. After recovering from the impact, she managed to get on her knees and get back on her feet, facing the woman.

She cried, "Hey, what're you doing?!" The lady began to give an evil chuckle, suddenly whipping off her outfit to reveal a white outfit that had spots of black on the wrists, as well as the bottom of the skirt that was part of the outfit, middle, and chest. She was also wearing white boots, and on the left side of her chest was the Team Rocket "R!" Kotone gasped, "You're a member of Team Rocket?!" The lady replied, "Not just a member. I am one of the Executives of the new Team Rocket, Arianna! And you're going to help me get a measure of revenge on those boys who foiled Lance's mission in Azalea Town!"

**Meanwhile, back at the Radio Tower**

While Kotone had problems of her own, Hareta and Gold had just finished helping Whitney solve hers. After a few tries, Gold managed to answer all of the questions on the quiz correctly and win the Radio Card. He then offered it to her, but she decided that he should keep it for his PokéGear instead, saying that she'll keep trying to win one herself. Although confused, Gold decided to honor what she said and slid it into his PokéGear, the icon popping alongside the watch, map, and phone functions.

Stepping outside of the Radio Tower, Whitney said goodbye to Hareta and Gold, promising to battle them later. Deciding to spend a little more time sightseeing, the boys checked out the Magnet Train station, only to hear that there was a problem with the train, meaning they couldn't watch it come in or leave. So they headed for the Underground instead.

While walking through the underground marketplace, they occasionally ran into a few shady or tough customers who were itching for a fight, though they were quickly taken care of. They continued walking through the Underground, seeing a pair of Pokémon barber shops and a lady selling herbal medicine.

Suddenly, a stall caught Hareta's attention. He turned to Gold and asked, "Hey Gold, what's a for-tune teller?" Gold said, "It's fortune teller, Hareta. And a fortune teller is someone who is said to be able to see into the future." Hareta exclaimed, "Really?! What do you do?!" Gold said, "Um… I guess they let you ask a question about the future and they'll tell you if it's going to happen." Hareta said, "Cool! Let's try it!" He then went over to the stall, while Gold hesitated a moment, not being one fond of trying something like this, before following Hareta.

**Back on Route 34**

Kotone groaned as she tried to push against the silk that was constraining her. Arianna smirked, "Forget it. Someone like you isn't going to get out of that easily. Now tell me, where are your boy toys right now?" Kotone replied, "I don't know, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you!" Arianna said, "Ooh, want to be difficult, do we? I think a few minutes with Murkrow could help you change your mind." She then released her Murkrow from its Poké Ball, the small black bird beginning to circle above Kotone. Kotone remembered that she had her Poké Balls in her jacket pocket, so as Murkrow perched on her shoulder, ready to do whatever it was told to convince her to talk, and Arianna continued to question her, she slowly reached into her right pocket for her Totodile's Poké Ball.

Arianna soon saw the red and white object Kotone was removing from her pocket and ordered her Murkrow to use Peck. The Dark and Flying-Type obeyed, pecking the side of Kotone's face hard until she dropped the ball next to her right foot. "Foolish child. Did you really think you could get the drop on me that easily?" Arianna asked. Kotone smirked, "Yes, actually. You don't know what you just did." Arianna looked at her questioningly as Kotone moved her right foot onto the Poké Ball and suddenly kicked it like a soccer ball! This sent it flying into Arianna's left cheek, knocking her over and causing the ball to bounce back above Kotone. As it reached the height of its flight, it suddenly released Totodile, who went soaring towards Kotone to give her a bite of affection, but she moved so that Totodile bit Murkrow instead! While Arianna recovered from the hit and Murkrow tried to get Totodile off, Kotone reached into her left pocket and grabbed Hoothoot's Poké Ball. Once it was outside, she had it use Wing Attack to cut the silk that was binding her, releasing her!

After getting up, Arianna recalled her Murkrow while rubbing her swollen cheek. "Think you're so clever, don't you? Well now you've made me angry, so I'm just going to take care of you now and then those boys are next!" she yelled, throwing two Poké Balls that released an Ekans and an Oddish. Kotone replied, "Really? You think you can take us? Then put your money where your mouth is!"

Angered by Kotone's remark, Arianna ordered, "Ekans, use Wrap attack on that Hoothoot! Oddish, use Mega Drain on Totodile!" Kotone called, "Hoothoot, use Hypnosis on Oddish!" Suddenly, Hoothoot's eyes began to glow blue, releasing a blue wave that struck Oddish before it could use its attack, putting it to sleep! Immediately afterwards, Hoothoot was trapped as Ekans coiled itself tightly around it. Kotone had Totodile use Bite on Ekans' tail, which caused it to thrash around in pain, trying to shake Totodile off. Arianna ordered Ekans use Crunch, biting Totodile on its own tail, though Kotone responded by having Totodile release itself from Ekans and use Water Gun on the ground sending them both flying into the air. When Totodile stopped using Water Gun, they fell down onto the Oddish, who was just starting to wake up, which also caused Ekans to release Totodile. As Totodile danced away, Kotone ordered Hoothoot to use Peck attack, hitting both of them hard and sending them flying into Arianna!

Kotone grinned, "Alright! We won!" She hugged her Pokémon, thanking them for battling so hard against a Rocket Executive. Arianna, meanwhile, recalled her Pokémon and decided to retreat while Kotone was distracted. As she ran, she yelled back at Kotone, "I won't forget this! Next time, you will pay dearly for this!" Kotone stopped what she was doing, groaning as she realized she had let a Team Rocket member escape.

As she thanked her Pokémon and recalled them to their respective Poké Balls, an Officer came up to her and asked, "Excuse me miss, I heard some commotion up this way. Is everything alright?" Kotone replied, "Well, a Team Rocket member tried to hold me hostage, but everything's fine now." The Officer asked, "A Team Rocket member?! Which way did they go?!" Kotone pointed to Goldenrod City and said, "She took off that way." The Officer thanked her and then ran to see if he could catch up to Athena. Kotone, meanwhile, brushed off the dirt on her jacket and skirt before picking up the shopping bag. As she continued towards her grandparents' house, she sighed, "Might as well see if I can take a shower after all. I could've caught that Arianna lady, but I let her get away… Some days, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. I hope Gold and Hareta are having fun at least.

**Back at the Fortune Teller's stand**

Gold and Hareta sat across from the fortune teller, Madame Urara, as she waved her hands up and down along the side of her crystal ball. "Wooooooooooooooooh… AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" she suddenly screamed. Gold asked, "Madame Urara, are you… Bringing up the spirits?" She replied, "No, it's the chili pepper I had earlier." Shortly after saying that, they heard the sound of cymbals crashing, causing both Hareta and Gold to look around confused.

She then continued, "Now, before I conduct a séance, ask me what the first thing on my mind is." Hareta said, "Okay. What's the first thing on your mind, Madame Urara?" She replied, "My 250 Pokédollar fee!" As they heard the cymbals crash again, Hareta reached into the pocket on the side of his jacket and brought out the 250 Pokédollars. Taking the money, she said, "Even us psychics have to pay the rent, you know." Hareta nodded, understanding.

She then held out her hands and said, "Gold, Hareta. Join hands." The two boys each took one of her hands while joining hands with each other. Her crystal ball began to shine as she spoke, "Oh spirits, with magic eyes, to Gold and Hareta, please don't tell lies. A moment of silence, boys." After a moment, she gasped and said, "Either your questions will be answered…" Both Hareta and Gold asked, "Or?" After another moment, she finished, "Or we'll have to play a quick game of Ring-Around-the-Rosy!" They both nodded as the cymbals crashed again.

**Meanwhile, at the Daycare**

While her grandparents made sure that the new toaster worked properly, Kotone took a quick shower, relaxing as the water fell on her. After she was done, she began to dry off and get dressed when her eye caught something in the mirror. Her hair seemed to look a little different than before she stepped in the shower. "_It's starting to look a little black now… Does that mean it's finally starting to rinse out?_" she thought to herself, wondering if this was the case. Shrugging, she finished dressing, fixed her hair so it looked like it usually did, then went downstairs to find her grandparents.

She found them enjoying a little toast, confirming that the toaster worked great. Looking at the toast, Kotone started to feel hungry herself and, after saying goodbye to her grandparents, headed back to Goldenrod City to try to locate Gold and Hareta, wanting to see if they had eaten yet.

**Back in the Underground**

Madame Urara said, "I think I've done it! I feel… I feel… I feel someone is stepping on my foot!" After everyone removed their hands from their mouths, she continued, "I feel there is a presence listening. Now, what is your question?" Gold asked, "Will we win the Plain Badge at the Goldenrod Gym?" Madame Urara replied, "Ooh, I can feel a very positive vibration. Yes, you both will be winners! Now for the Bonus Round, you may ask one more question." Hareta was about to ask when the cymbals crashed again, causing him to look around a moment, then turned back to her and asked, "Will we get to see Ho-Oh, the other Pokémon that used to roost on the Brass Tower, or the three Pokémon that Ho-Oh revived when we go to Ecruteak City?" She replied, "Hmmmmmm… I can't say for certain. My vision has become very cloudy all of a sudden. However, I can sense that something extraordinary is going to happen in the near future." Gold asked, "Something extraordinary?" She nodded.

Suddenly she said, "Wait. I'm getting… I'm getting… I'm getting hungry! Which means this stall is now closed. Sorry boys." Both Hareta and Gold said it was okay, then turned to leave the Underground, feeling hungry themselves. As they walked back outside, they suddenly saw Kotone and went over to her. "Where have you guys been? I was looking for you just now!" she said. "Sorry, we were checking something out in the Underground and just got done," Hareta said. Kotone replied, "Oh well that's okay. I might stop by there before we leave. But for now, I'm starved. How about you guys?" Both Hareta and Gold agreed with her, and then decided to look for a restaurant or fast-food place to get something to eat.

**North of Goldenrod City**

Having finally lost the Officer that had been following her, Arianna decided that it was safe enough to get in contact with her leader. Pulling out her hand-held communicator and putting it on her ear, she punched in the frequency and waited while it connected.

Soon, she was greeted by the voice of her boss, who said, "Archer here. Is that you, Arianna?" After she replied that it was, Archer demanded to know how her mission had gone. She said, "Unsuccessful. I tried to get a girl who was traveling with those boys to tell me where they were so I could use her as a hostage, but she was more resourceful than I anticipated. I had to escape or I would've been caught by the police." Archer sighed, "That displeases me, Arianna. If they're left to run around as they please, they could stand in the way of our plans to revive Team Rocket and get our boss, Giovanni, to return." Arianna replied, "I understand, sir. I'll be better prepared next time." Archer replied, "No. For now, you will return to the hideout. I'm sending Petrel to spy on these children and gather information about them. We will decide where to go from there." Arianna pleaded, "But Archer, sir!" He cut her off, "Don't argue with me. Return to the hideout immediately and wait for further orders." With that, Arianna heard the telltale sound that indicated he had hung up on her.

Putting her communicator back in her pocket, she carefully began to make her back to the Team Rocket hideout. As she did, she growled, "I'll do what he says, but the next available chance I get, I'm going to get that girl! She'll pay for humiliating me!"

* * *

Yeah, this just came out bad, didn't it? I'm not going to attempt to any humor-only writing again. But if I ever decide to try it again, I want you to do me a favor. Remind me to bang my head against a table until I forget about writing with only humor in mind.

Oh, and it is possible for a Hoothoot to learn Wing Attack through breeding. Just so everyone knows.


	11. Gettin' the Bugs In

After they ate lunch, Hareta and Gold decided that they could wait until tomorrow to battle Whitney for the Plain Badge. So the trio spent the rest of the day looking around the city some more, going to the Department Store and other interesting shops, including a place where Trainers could get their pictures taken with their Pokémon.

The following day, they challenged Whitney separately to a battle. Gold went first, using Geodude and Pikachu against her Clefairy and Miltank. Although Geodude managed to defeat Clefairy without much trouble, both it and Pikachu fell victim to Miltank's Attract, Stomp, and Rollout moves. Although he was disappointed that they didn't defeat Whitney, he was proud of both Geodude and Pikachu, especially since Pikachu was listening to him more, indicating they were getting closer. Hareta then challenged her with his Lucario and Empoleon while she used a Delcatty and Bibarel. Lucario was able to take care of Delcatty, but Hareta recalled him when Whitney brought out Bibarel. Bibarel attempted to use the same Rollout trick that Miltank did, but Hareta and Empoleon found a way to overcome it and win. After Whitney calmed down from her loss, she awarded him the Plain Badge and told Gold she would challenge him again tomorrow. This psyched Gold up, as watching Hareta's battle gave him an idea on how to beat Whitney's Miltank.

During the night, Kotone visited one of the human barber shops in the Underground and had her now black hair trimmed slightly, having some of the hair in front shortened a bit while the locks that were banded so they went to her sides from the back were cut so they weren't as thick and were shorter. The following day, Gold once again used Geodude and Pikachu against Whitney's Clefairy and Miltank, this time employing the strategy he had come up with from watching Hareta's battle and defeated Whitney this time! She congratulated him on coming up with a perfect strategy and awarded him his own Plain Badge. They all went to the Pokémon Center to make sure their Pokémon were feeling well.

As they were finishing up in the Pokémon Center, an elderly man, woman, and Meowth were sitting on one of the benches near the Department Store as they ate some food they had bought from the store. People who passed them thought that they were a couple of senior citizens, but they were actually the trio that had followed Gold's group into Ilex Forest days ago, just in disguise.

"Ah, nothing better than an easily gotten meal," Jessie sighed as she finished her sandwich. "Yes, and with these disguises, we were able to get the senior citizen's discount. Unfortunately, we're just about out of money again, so we'll have to think of a way to get more," James said. "I think better on a full tummy," Meowth said as he gobbled up the two rice balls he was holding. As he let his eyes wander, he suddenly spotted Gold's group leaving the Pokémon Center as they said goodbye to Whitney.

"Aah! Look, it's dem! Dose kids we was trailing back in Ilex Forest!" Both Jessie and James turned to look too, Jessie saying, "You're right! C'mon you two, let's follow them!" James asked, "What for, Jessie?" She replied, "What else? Now that Team Rocket is disbanded, we need to do something to earn money! Even if it means we have to go back to being dishonest about it!" James said, "Oh, right." Meowth added, "Let's just follow along and see what they're up to before we do anything else." With that, they stood up and began to secretly follow after the group.

**Later…**

After some walking and battling on Route 35, Gold's group came to a building at the end of the road. Walking inside, they found a bunch of people were gathered around a desk that was next to the exit at the other end. Since the people did not seem to be lined up, they carefully pushed their way through the people until they made it to the door next to the desk. They saw a man who was wearing a red park ranger uniform there, so Kotone asked, "Hey, what's going on sir?" He replied, "You don't know? Today's Tuesday, which means the Bug-Catching Contest is today." Hareta asked, "A contest? What do you have to do?" The man replied, "It's very simple, actually. You enter with one of your Pokémon and try to catch the best Bug-type Pokémon you can find. And even if you don't win first, second, or third place, you get to keep the Pokémon you catch, as well as receive a consolation prize."

Gold said, "That does sound fun! Is there still time to enter?" The man replied, "Yes, there's still enough time to sign up. I'll need to know what Pokémon you're using first." They backed away from him so they wouldn't be in the way and began to think about the Pokémon they had with them. After about five minutes of thought, they came back with their minds made up. Gold entered his Chikorita, Hareta chose to use his Zubat, and Kotone decided to use Hoothoot, initially wanting to use Togepi but deciding not to until later. With their decisions made, the man entered them into the contest and took their other Pokémon for safekeeping. Shortly afterwards, he called for all participants to go to the center of the National Park, everyone filing out of the exit to head for the fountain in the middle of the park.

After everyone left the station, Jessie, James, and Meowth walked in, having ditched their disguises and Jessie and James wearing their all red bodysuits with black gloves and boots. Jessie asked, "Excuse me, is there something going on right now?" The man replied, "The Bug-Catching Contest is going to start in a few minutes. Did you want to register?" James stepped up and said, "Actually, now that you mention it, we were wondering if we could get jobs and help organize and such. Surely you could use a few extra hands during a contest?" The man brought a hand to his chin, "Hmm… Well, we can always use extra help around here during the contests, especially when we have a lot of people entering like today." He then looked back up at them and said, "Alright, you've got a deal! We have plenty of extra uniforms in the back. Go suit up and I'll tell you what you need to do." Jessie, James, and Meowth danced giddily into the back, happy to get work.

**National Park**

Hareta, Kotone, and Gold stood with the other participants in front of the fountain in the center of the park. They had been waiting for a several minutes, during which they got to meet some of the other competitors in the contest, including CoolTrainer Nick, Pokéfan William, Samuel, Camper Barry, Ed, and Bug Catcher Benny. Some of the first-time competitors were beginning to get impatient, some seeming to be on the verge of starting something. But before anyone could do anything, Jessie and James came running towards them wearing red park ranger outfits. As they got closer, they began to call out something they hadn't done in quite a while.

"Attention folks, don't stir up any trouble!"

"If you do, we'll throw you out on the double!"

"To protect the park from devastation!"

"To preserve nature within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of playing fair!"

"So you can go and compete without a care!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Park rangers find trouble at the speed of light!"

"Just surrender when caught and don't put up a fight!"

"Meowth, Meowth!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime, Mime!"

Everyone looked at them, either amazed by their flashy presentation or simply because they were crazy. While they were looking, Jessie announced, "We're sorry for the delay, but your patience has been rewarded!" James continued, "We will begin handing out Compé Balls to everyone now." So saying, the man from earlier came over with a box full of miniature Poké Balls that had a yellow stripe going down the middle of the red part. James took the box and held it while Jessie began to hand out 20 of the shrunken-down Compé Balls to everyone.

Meanwhile, the man announced, "You all know the rules, but I'll explain them one more time. Using the Pokémon you have chosen and these Compé Balls, each of you will catch a Bug Pokémon to be judged. Whoever catches the strongest Bug Pokémon is the winner. If you use up all of the Compé Balls, you're done. You have 20 minutes, and you get to keep the last Pokémon that you catch. Is everyone ready?" By then, all the Compé Balls had been handed out, so everyone said they were. With that, the man clicked his stopwatch and everyone split off in different directions.

**Five minutes later, in the southwestern portion of the park**

"Argh! Where'd it go?! I know I saw a Venonat!" Gold groaned, looking for the Pokémon that he'd lost sight of. He had used up several Compé Balls already and caught nothing. Although he had fifteen minutes left, he didn't want to waste most of them trying to find a strong Bug Pokémon.

As he and Chikorita continued to walk amongst the trees while searching, they began to hear a slight buzzing sound. Turning towards it, they saw a lone Beedrill flying towards them! As it got closer, it stuck out its stinger for a Fury Attack, though Gold and Chikorita jumped out of the way before they could get hit, causing it to slam its stinger into a tree branch and send it flying a few feet away from the tree. Gold figured it had to be a strong Beedrill, since the broken branch looked pretty firm.

As the Beedrill righted itself and turned around to face them, Gold called for Chikorita to use a Tackle attack. The Grass-type sailed into the Beedrill, sending it reeling through the air a moment. It then recovered and came flying back towards Chikorita with a Twineedle attack, striking Chikorita several times with its two large stingers. Despite the damage caused, Chikorita refused to give up, so Gold called for a Razor Leaf attack, which Beedrill blocked by holding up its stingers in a crossed position, followed by a Vine Whip that hit Beedrill and sent it flying into a nearby tree. But it was indeed a tough Beedrill, as it managed to climb back up and get back in the air. It then quickly slammed Chikorita with a Poison Jab, followed by a Wing Attack, sending it skidding across the ground!

Gold knew Chikorita was badly hurt, so he grabbed Chikorita's Poké Ball and called for Chikorita to return, the red beam coming out of the ball. However, Chikorita got back up and jumped out of the path of the beam, much to Gold's surprise. "Chiko! Chiko Chikori!!" it yelled while shaking its head. Gold realized that Chikorita was too stubborn to want to give up now, wanting to continue the battle. Although he wasn't fond of the idea, he relented and they turned around as Beedrill began to come in for another attack. It launched a Pin Missile at Chikorita, its two large stingers glowing and launching a stream of white needles. Chikorita leapt high over the attack, the sun shining down on it from above as Chikorita began to glow!

Gold watched in shock as Chikorita's body grew, its legs and neck getting longer. It came down on top of Beedrill in a Body Slam attack as the glow receded, Chikorita having evolved into Bayleef! The attack left Beedrill paralyzed and weak, Bayleef staring down at it in triumph. After Gold overcame his surprise and Bayleef got off, Gold threw a Compé Ball at Beedrill, the ball pulling it inside. After a few moments of rattling with the light blinking, it stopped and clicked while giving off a few stars. After grabbing the ball, Gold tearfully pulled Bayleef into a hug, relieved that it was okay more than anything. After a few minutes of this, they decided that that was enough and began to head back to the main area of the park to rest and wait for the contest to end.

**Meanwhile, in the northwestern section**

Hareta ran through the grass with Zubat flying by his side. They had already encountered a couple of Bug Pokémon at this point, but Hareta kept catching them and couldn't decide on just one he wanted to catch for the contest. He had just caught a Butterfree, and was now looking to see what other Pokémon were around.

As he wandered through a patch of long tall grass, something suddenly leapt out, using the sun as cover to try to throw Hareta and Zubat off! They could still see the silhouette coming towards them and managed to get out of the way as they could hear the sound of the grass being cut. Turning to face the attacker, Hareta saw that it was a Scyther that seemed to be looking for a good battle. Hareta was only too happy to oblige, so he called for Zubat to attack with an Air Cutter, which Scyther answered with an Air Slash. It then prepared a Razor Wind attack, though Zubat stopped it with a Supersonic attack. Even though it was confused, Scyther was still alert to what was happening and used Double Team, creating multiple copies of itself. While Zubat tried to figure out which was the real one, Scyther came out of its confusion and lashed out with a Slash attack! Zubat managed to stay airborne and retaliated with a Wing Attack, causing some damage but also leaving it open to a Fury Cutter, which was quickly followed up by a Vacuum Wave!

Hareta shouted, "Don't give up, Zubat! You can make it! C'mon and show Scyther your fighting spirit!" At Hareta's words, Zubat let out a cry as it began to glow! Its body began to grow, breaking out of the Vacuum Wave as it got bigger. Soon the glow faded, revealing that Zubat had evolved into Golbat! Although surprised, Scyther went in for an X-Scissor, only to get a shock as Golbat used Astonish, followed by an Air Slash, the force throwing Scyther to the ground and leaving it close to defeat. Hareta took this opportunity to throw a Compé Ball at it, which captured Scyther after a few moments of rocking. Hareta cheered at the catch and hugged his new Golbat tightly. He decided to keep Scyther for the contest, so he and Golbat began to make their way back to the park center to meet up with the other competitors.

**In the eastern section of the park**

Kotone smiled as she and Hoothoot found a Beautifly in a field of flowers. Out of the many Bug-type Pokémon in the world, she had always liked Butterfree and Beautifly the most. Now was her best chance to catch a Beautifly.

She called for Hoothoot to use a Peck attack, her partner leaping off of one leg towards Beautifly, flapping its wings as it went through the air. Beautifly, who had been using its proboscis to gather nectar and pollen from some of the flowers, turned around just as Hoothoot came flying into it, sending it through the air. After sliding across the ground, Beautifly angrily began to flap its wings, its aggressive nature kicking in due to it being disturbed. Before Kotone or Hoothoot could react, it jabbed Hoothoot's side with its long thin mouth and began to use Mega Drain! It kept this up for a few moments, recovering from the damage the Peck attack caused, before pulling its mouth out rather hard, causing Hoothoot to stumble and struggle to stay upright.

After Hoothoot recovered, Kotone called, "Hang in there, Hoothoot! Use Confusion!" At this, Hoothoot's eyes glowed bright blue and fired a blue beam at Beautifly. Beautifly was caught in the path of the beam, unable to move. When the attack died down, it opened its eyes to see a lot of odd shapes and pretty colors as a result of being confused. While it admired the colors and shapes, Kotone called for a Hypnosis attack, which put Beautifly to sleep. While it began to snooze, Kotone used a Compé Ball to capture it. Kotone happily hugged Hoothoot for doing such a good job and felt sure that they were going to be one of the three winners. The two then made their way west through the park, aiming for the fountain where everyone would meet up at the end of the contest.

**Later, at the park station on Route 35**

Jessie, James, and Meowth carefully peeked out of a door in the station, making sure no one was around. After seeing the coast was clear, they stepped out, each carrying a box in their hands as they walked. Meowth grinned, "Ha ha! Talk about gettin' an easy haul!" James added, "Yeah! All we had to do was sneak off while the rangers had their backs turned and the rest was easy since they gave us all the keys!" Jessie said, "We won't have to do any work for a very long time once we get back to the city! Now let's go before the boss gets back!"

Suddenly, someone asked, "What are you three doing back here?" The three froze in their tracks, trying to think of some way to get out of this without going to jail. Turning around, they saw that it was the same man who had given them their jobs. Knowing that he could see the boxes now, James said, "Sorry, boss! We were just going to make sure all the contestants Poké Balls were all here." Jessie added, "Can't be too careful. There are thieves everywhere these days." The man replied, "That's nice of you, but it'll have to wait. All the contestants got done early, so I was coming to get the Poké Balls myself. Since you three have them, follow me. We'll be returning them to their Trainers after the judging is done."

Grudgingly, the three began to follow him, Jessie and Meowth quietly arguing with each other about not getting away while James just sighed as he listened to them.

**Center of the National Park**

Everyone had gathered back in the center of the park, where a group of park rangers had set up a table for judging the Pokémon. Soon, they saw the man who had signed them up coming, along with Jessie, James, and Meowth, who were carrying the boxes with their Poké Balls inside. Walking behind the table and facing them, the man asked, "Everyone is present, correct?" At the crowd's affirmation, the man said, "Good. We will now begin judging your Pokémon. Everyone, please come up and place your Compé Balls here." Everyone got into a line, each giving their Pokémon to one of the rangers before going back to where they were standing, waiting while the judging was being done.

After several minutes of waiting, the man announced, "We have chosen our winners! Are you all ready for this?" Once again, everyone said yes, so he continued, "Placing third is… Hareta, who caught a Scyther! The score was 337 points!" At this, Hareta and his Golbat cheered happily, Hareta jumping up and down a bit. After he calmed down somewhat, the man went on, "In second place is… Gold, who caught a Beedrill! The score was 339 points!" Gold pumped his fist and said "Yeah!" while his Bayleef did something similar with one of its vines. The man continued, "And finally, this Bug-Catching Contest winner is…" He then paused a moment to clear his throat, while everyone was anxious to learn who had won.

He then finished, "The winner is Kotone, who caught a Beautifly! The winning score was 340 points!" Kotone yelled happily and hugged her Hoothoot while everyone applauded, Hareta and Gold clapping especially hard for her. After it settled down a bit, the man asked, "Can I get our three winners to come up here?" Kotone, Gold, and Hareta walked up to the man, standing in front of the table. He spoke, "Each of you gets a special prize for placing." He then reached into a nearby small box on the table and pulled out a Sitrus Berry, saying, "Hareta, our third place winner, wins this Sitrus Berry!" Hareta gladly accepted it, then the man reached into another small box and pulled out an Everstone, announcing, "Gold, our second place winner, wins this Everstone!" Gold also gladly accepted his prize. The man reached into a final small box and pulled out a Shiny Stone! He then called, "And finally, our big winner Kotone wins this rare Shiny Stone! Congratulations!" Kotone happily accepted, thanking the man for it. He then announced, "Now, as a consolation to the rest of you for competing, I'd like to give everyone an Oran Berry! So if you could just form a line, we'll start handing them out now."

**A few minutes later**

After everyone else had been given their Oran Berry, the rangers began to hand back the Pokémon that they had been keeping for the contest. As promised, all of the Trainers also got to keep the last Pokémon they had caught during the contest.

Afterwards, everyone began mingling with each other, talking about how they caught their Pokémon and how much fun it was. Hareta, Kotone, and Gold were sitting on a park bench as they were chatting, enjoying the afternoon to early evening breeze as they sat.

"Contests sure are a lot of fun! I really enjoyed this one!" Hareta was saying. "You bet! I wonder if there are any other contests around here that are fun and are helpful to the Pokémon as well?" Gold wondered. The man who had signed them up heard them and walked up to them, saying, "Looking to enter more contests and competitions, huh? If you're interested, the Pokéathlon Dome is just to the west of here." Hareta asked, "Pokéathlon? What's that?" Kotone turned to Hareta and said, "The Pokéathlon is a type of competition that Pokémon compete in. It involves a lot of different events, most of them being athletic in some form. Trainers enter a team of three Pokémon, who all compete to earn the best score and win the events!" Hareta exclaimed, "Wow! That sounds fun! Gold, can we please go check it out?" Gold replied, "Of course! I've seen them sometimes too, and I'm pretty psyched myself!" He then turned to the man and asked, "How do we get to the Pokéathlon Dome, sir?" He replied, "You just go back to the station and use the other door. Oh, and they have a place where Trainers can spend the night, kind of like a big summer or winter athletic competition."

After getting their bags, the trio thanked the man for everything and said goodbye, heading back to the station where they had entered the park from to get to the road to the Pokéathlon Dome. As they left the park, a man who had been watching them during the competition followed them out, taking care to avoid alerting them to his presence as he watched them.

As the man began to head back to his post, Jessie, James, and Meowth came up to him, each holding a check in their hands. He spoke, "Ah, good to see you three. How'd you enjoy your first day as park rangers?" Jessie replied, "Oh it started out okay, but it got really good when we got our paychecks!" James asked, "I suppose we'll be doing this again tomorrow?" The man replied, "Nope, sorry. We only hold the Bug-Catching Contest on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays." James said, "Oh, well, that's okay. But we'll still get paid, right?" The man replied, "Actually, now that I think about it, how did you get those checks? You shouldn't have gotten paid yet…" Jessie, James, and Meowth glanced nervously at each other until Jessie said, "Well, the thing about that is- RUN!!!" At that, the three took off running after the group, ditching their ranger outfits and shouting "We're dashing off again!" as they did. The man yelled, "Wait! Come back here!" then took off running after them, chasing them into the early evening.

* * *

Music:

The Rules, One Last Time- Menu (Mario Kart Super Circuit)

The Contest- Festival of the Hunt/Hunter's Chance (Final Fantasy IX)


	12. Pokéathlon Speed Competition

After making it back to the station, Hareta, Gold, and Kotone followed the rug inside to the other exit, which put them on the short road to the Pokéathlon Dome. They continued walking, Treecko riding on Hareta's shoulder, while Gold's Elekid and Pikachu walked beside him and Kotone carried her Togepi in her arms.

As they neared a glass overhang that was a short distance up the road, they saw an old man and his Poliwrath standing underneath it in the middle of the road. As soon as he spotted them, he called, "Hey there!!" He then walked up to them and said, "You three have Pokémon with you! That means you're going to enter the Pokéathlon, correct?" Gold replied, "Yeah, we were planning to check it out before we went to Ecruteak City. Are you going to enter too?" He said, "Of course! Pokémon enjoy the Pokéathlon, and it's good for the Trainers too! Both put their heart and soul into coming out on top in these events! It's a definite must for any aspiring Trainer or Coordinator!! But you shouldn't have to listen to me talk about it! It's just up the road here, the Pokéathlon Dome is! So come along, children!! Let's get going!!" He and his Poliwrath then began to walk back towards the overhang, followed after a moment by Gold, Hareta, and Kotone.

Soon, the overhang emptied out onto a Poké Ball shaped walk. In front of them was the Pokéathlon Dome, the top of the sliding glass doors adorned with the design of a fist and a Poké Ball. Looking back at them, the man said, "Well, this is it, youngsters! The Pokéathlon Dome itself! Here, your Pokémon can partake in various track and field type events! If you want to know more about the events, you should ask the ladies at the front desk." He then pointed off to their left and said, "Over there is a little shop that sells pre-made Apricorn Drinks. What the man is selling changes on a daily basis. It's also where Trainers and their Pokémon can get housing if they want to compete the following morning, and it's also where the Pokémon can practice and get warmed up for the events."

He then looked back at the group and said, "Well, that's all I can tell you about the Pokéathlon and everything else around here, but I'm sure you kids will figure everything else out yourselves! That's what you kids are good at, right?" He then stretched a bit and said, "Well, my Poliwrath and I should get going if we're going to get in on the next competition before they call it quits for the night. Hope to compete against you kids in a match real soon!" He then headed for the sliding doors, stepping through them as they opened. His Poliwrath followed him, stopping before he walked in after him to turn around and say, "(Some of these events can be real tricky. But like he said, you'll all have a lot of fun. See you around!)" He then turned around and followed after the old man.

Hareta, Gold, and Kotone headed for the mini square that the man had pointed out to them, looking around a little. They saw a road that went around in a square shape, making it perfect for Pokémon to practice running for the Speed events. As they walked around, they saw several Pokémon doing just that, saying hi to their Trainers as they walked around. They also saw benches near some flower beds for anyone who wanted to sit down. After looking around for a little while longer, they went to one of the lodges that were set up on the other side of the square and checked in at the front desk. They each decided to enter the Pokéathlon competitions early tomorrow, so they all quickly got to bed after having dinner.

**Meanwhile...**

Jessie, James, and Meowth walked up the path through the glass overhang, tired from all of the running they had to do to lose their pursuer. Starving and exhausted, they were hoping they could find a restaurant with a free all-you-can-eat buffet when they came to the Pokéathlon Dome. "Say, I've heard of the Pokéathlon before. They broadcast the matches on TV, and they have lounges around here that Trainers can stay at as long as they're competing," James said. Jessie perked up, "Ah ha ha! Sounds like this is a job for Jessadia! We'll pose as a famous reporter crew, earning us free lodging and food, then cover the events tomorrow, and maybe pick up a few prize Pokémon!" Meowth said, "Y'know, you don't get a lotta ideas, but the ones you get sure are real posh!" Jessie looked at him and said, "I'll ignore the first part of that. Now let's get dressed for success!" After making sure no one had seen them, they ran into the trees to the Pokéathlon Dome's right to stay out of sight and change outfits.

Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones out at that time. The man who had been following Gold's group happened to have seen them, getting a good look at their faces before they went into the trees. "Hmm... Weren't they bodyguards for master Giovanni three years ago?" he murmured to himself, wondering what they were doing here.

**The following morning...**

After waking up, taking care of their morning rituals, and getting some breakfast at the lodge, Kotone, Gold, and Hareta left for the Pokéathlon Dome. Inside, they saw the floor was composed of black tiles that had blue lights shining up from underneath, as well as several arches that had colors flowing along them. As they walked up to the front desk to register, they took note of the TV screen behind the counter, which was showing several replays of some of the events.

As they watched, Whitney suddenly came up behind them! She began to talk to them until she realized that they didn't have their passes for the Pokéthlon. She then disappeared down a nearby escalator for a few minutes, then came back with three blank passes for them. After exchanging a few more words with the group, she said goodbye, heading back to Goldenrod City to do some shopping at the Department Store.

After watching Whitney leave, the trio turned their attention back to the front desk and asked the lady on the left if they could register for the Pokéathlon. She said they could, then took their passes so she could put their information on them. Once they were registered and they decided what competition they were going to compete in and what Pokémon they were using, she informed them that they would have to change their outfits before they could go out on the field. She then directed them to a nearby shop in the dome where they could buy a set of clothes, saying that there were a variety of outfits for them to pick from. Thanking her, the three headed for the shop to see what they had.

**A couple minutes later...**

Gold exited the shop first, his signature hat removed, exposing his messy black raven hair. He was wearing a blue sports jacket that was unzipped and was white on the top of the collar, as well as near the zipper and on the arms. Underneath this was a white jersey and a pair of blue shorts that were colored similarly to his jacket. Instead of his normal shoes, he had a pair of blue running shoes on. His Buizel, Elekid, and Spiky-Eared Pichu walked beside him, being the Pokémon team he had chosen to use for the competition.

Kotone came out of the shop next, also having her cap removed, letting her now light-black hair out a bit. She wore a magenta-colored jacket that had white in the same places Gold's had, though she her jacket was zipped up. She had a matching pair of shorts and running shoes on as well. The team she had selected was composed of Togepi, Totodile, and Beautifly.

Finally, Hareta exited the shop as well. His Pokéthlon outfit was different compared to Gold and Kotone's. On his head, just underneath his wild raven black hair, was a green headband that had the bottom half of a Poké Ball logo on it. He wore a pair of black, fingerless gloves that had a white wrist, as well as a black T-shirt with a white "V" collar. He also had a yellow vest that was blue at the bottom, which was the same color scheme as the shorts he had. Lastly, he had tied his white scarf around his waist, and, interestingly, had a pair of brown sandals on. At his side were Scyther, Kadabra, and Bonsly, as he wanted to give them a chance to compete.

Returning to the lady at the front desk, she opened the gate at her side for them, allowing them to go to the indoor field, where they could wait until it was time for the competition.

**Later, in the middle of the track**

Hareta, Gold, and Kotone stood before a white collapsible stage, where a man wearing a white tank top and gray sweat pants stood as he introduced the crowd to them and another Trainer who was competing. Off in the middle of the field, Jessie, James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet were clad in their reporter disguises, having had breakfast earlier and now preparing to do their TV report on the Pokéthlon, especially since they were promised to get paid for their work. Jessie wore glasses, long white socks, a yellow and orange dress that had a red ribbon with a heart in the middle on it, and had her hair in pigtails. James held the camera, dressed like a cameraman, while Meowth wore a blue suit jacket and Wobbuffet wore a cap turned backwards as he held up cue cards.

"Greetings all you Pokéathlon fans! Jessadia here, bringing all the action straight from the Horsea's mouth straight to your home! In a minute, we'll be learning just what events the Pokéathletes will be competing in as they all try to become the overall winner!" Jessie said to the camera as she posed for it, trying to get as much attention for herself as she could. She continued to talk to the camera as the announcements going on in the middle of the track finished up.

Soon, the introductions and announcements were done, and the Pokéathlon was underway! The first event was the Dash Hurdle, an event that called for fast speed and considerable jumping. The four Trainers lined up behind the track as the Pokémon in their teams each took a lane. At the start signal, they all took off running, making their way as fast as they could down the track while trying to jump over all of the hurdles in their path. Over the course of the race, a few of the hurdles were broken either because they didn't jump in time or because they jumped too far over one. In the end, Gold's Pichu made it across the finish line first, closely followed by Hareta's Scyther and Kotone's Togepi. Gold's Buizel crossed after them, followed by Kotone's Totodile and Beautifly, Gold's Elekid, Hareta's Kadabra, the other competitor's Ponyta, Sandshrew, and Sentret, and lastly, Hareta's Bonsly.

After the results were taken in, the points were distributed accordingly. Gold was placed first, though Kotone was just a few points behind in second, and Hareta was in third, well ahead of the fourth competitor. With that, they moved onto the second event, the Steal Flag. The competitors moved to a sandbox-type area that had some beach umbrellas scattered about. Scyther, Togepi, Buizel, and Sentret lined up at the starting line, all of them warming up while they waited for the countdown. After the countdown, the Pokémon rushed into the arena, each of them trying to gather as many flags as they could. As the event went on and the flags were returned to the starting line, the other Pokémon got their turn as well.

After time ran out, the Pokéathletes' points were once again added up, Hareta's team having collected the most flags. He was just a few points short of being in first as a result, though Gold was still holding the lead and Kotone was just a few points behind him. Now it was time for the final event, the Charge Relay. Scyther, Togepi, Buizel, and Sentret all took their place on the white line, while their Trainers and the rest of the team watched from the sidelines. Soon, the countdown began, and as soon as it ended, all of them took off running to try to get as many laps as they could in the time limit. Their Trainers kept an eye on them as they ran, calling them back when they saw they were getting tired and switching out with the next member. As he watched them run, Meowth thought, "_Heh, look at all of 'em! Like college students running from a student loans officer!_"

After the event ended, the final point totals began to get added up, Gold's quick team having run the most laps. The announcer soon had the results figured out, and Gold was declared to be the winner! Hareta managed to get second, ahead of Kotone by one point. After the cheers died down, everyone received their tallied points for competing and headed off the field, heading back to the lobby where the changing rooms were.

**Later...**

Hareta and Gold sat in the main lobby, back in their regular outfits and their Pokémon resting in their Poké Balls. They were waiting for Kotone, who was over in the shop where they had gotten their Pokéathlon outfits. Soon, she returned, wearing her usual outfit, though she had gotten a new light brown shoulder bag, which had her pink PokéGear strapped to it. Hareta asked, "Hey Kotone, what's with the new bag?" She replied, "I've been thinking of getting a new bag for a while now. I've had this white backpack for a few years and it's starting to get worn out. For now, I can use it to carry these new clothes I bought."

Gold asked, "You bought new clothes? When are you going to wear them?" Kotone replied, "I'm going to keep wearing these for a little while, but it never hurts to have an extra set of clothes in case something happens." Gold shrugged a bit, guessing it was a good idea. With that, they decided to go back to the National Park and head for Route 36 to resume their journey to Ecruteak City.

As they left the Pokéathlon Dome and headed down the road, the man who had been following them stood off to the side of the dome as he watched them, smirking as he said, "Heh, the only one of those brats who might be a real threat is the youngest, but he obviously doesn't know what he's capable of if he's traveling with those two. I don't see how Proton and Arianna could've lost." He then whipped off his disguise, revealing his short purple hair and beard, as well as a Rocket uniform that had two yellow lines running down the shirt from the neck to the bottom around the "R" and a white belt that had three canisters on it. He grinned, "Either way, Archer asked me, Petrel, to make use of my disguise skills to gather information on them, and that's what I did. I'd better get back to the hideout and report this to him." He called out his Koffing and ordered it to use Smokescreen, covering the area he was standing in with black smoke. When it cleared, Petrel had vanished entirely.

Meanwhile, back in the Pokéathlon Dome, Jessie, James, and Meowth were contemplating what to do. They still wore their disguises and interviewed some of the people in the dome to avoid raising suspicion. Eventually, they decided that, even though they were getting paid and were allowed to stay in one of the lodges, they could do better than this, especially since Jessie kept telling James to keep the camera focused on her all the time. So they left the Pokéathlon Dome, looking for other work they could get paid for.

* * *

Music:

Arrival and Looking Around- Dome (Pokémon HGSS)

Inside the Dome- Inflexible Determination (Final Fantasy X)

Let's Get Ready!- Opening Ceremony (Pokémon HGSS)

Speed Competition- Super Sonic Dance Attack (16-Bit Version) (Inter Galactica Dance Club)

Petrel Appears- Tallon Overworld (Theme 2) (Metroid Prime)

This was tricky to write, since I had trouble nailing the Pokéthlon events right. Hope you think I did it well enough!


	13. The Mimic Tree

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Gold called. Heeding his call, Pikachu took off running, seemingly shooting through the air at high speed. "Then we'll use Quick Attack too! Cyndaquil, go!" Hareta called, his fire mouse also moving at high speed towards Pikachu. The two slammed into each other a few times, trying to overpower each other before they jumped back away from each other. Kotone kept an eye on their battle from the sidelines, acting as the judge for their battle.

After leaving the Pokéathlon Dome, the group had passed through the National Park one last time, each of them encountering a few Trainers who wanted to battle during the walk through. After the battles, they passed through the station that was connected to Route 36 and continued on the road to Ecruteak City. After walking for a little while, Hareta asked Gold if he wanted to have a battle, as he wanted to see how strong Gold's team was getting. Gold had agreed, and Kotone proposed that they have a one-on-one battle, their battle just now starting.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Gold ordered, Pikachu firing electricity from its cheeks at this call. Hareta called, "Cyndaquil, use Swift attack!" Cyndaquil then fired a stream of stars from her mouth into Pikachu's Thunderbolt attack, creating an explosion. "All right, Cyndaquil, use Dig!" Hareta ordered. At this, Cyndaquil began to claw at the ground, quickly creating a hole that she vanished down into. "Pikachu, be careful! Cyndaquil could come up from anywhere!" Gold warned. Pikachu dropped to all fours as it tried to sense where Cyndaquil was, but could not detect her in time and was thrown back when Cyndaquil suddenly surfaced and slammed into it! Pikachu landed on its feet, minimizing the damage, and stood ready for more. "Man, Hareta, Cyndaquil sure has gotten really strong since she joined you," Gold commented. "Thanks! We've been working hard the way we always have, and Cyndaquil has really gotten over her time with Silver," Hareta replied. "It really shows. I don't know what Cyndaquil was like back when she was with Silver, but she definitely looks happy to be with you," Kotone added. Cyndaquil gave off a cry to show that Kotone was right; she was indeed happy to be with someone who cared for her.

"Now let's get back to the battle. Cyndaquil, use Flamethrower!" Hareta called, and Cyndaquil's back flared up, ready to battle. She then unleashed a blast of fire from her mouth, headed for Pikachu! "Pikachu, counter with a Thunderbolt!" Gold called. Pikachu once again launched a powerful attack, colliding with the Flamethrower and making another explosion. "Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!" Gold yelled, and Pikachu took off running towards Cyndaquil, soon being surround by electricity as it ran. "Whoa! Cyndaquil, use Quick Attack to dodge!" Hareta exclaimed, seeing the power in the attack. Unfortunately, Cyndaquil was not fast enough, and got slammed by the attack, briefly being pushed through the air by Pikachu before being sent flopping across the ground. Pikachu, meanwhile, kept going to use up the remaining power and slammed into a large tree in the path.

Everyone rushed over to make sure they were okay. Although Cyndaquil had been shocked by the Volt Tackle, she didn't take the full brunt of the attack, so she wasn't hurt as bad. Pikachu was also okay, except for the recoil damage caused by the attack and from slamming its head into the tree. Kotone pulled out some Super Potion for both of them, taking care of their injuries since both boys decided to stop there, seeing that their Pokémon were getting stronger. Gold looked up at the tree Pikachu had hit and wondered, "Where did this tree come from? It's blocking the road to Ecruteak City!" Hareta suggested, "Maybe this is what Nurse Joy was talking about. You know, when we were in Violet City and she mentioned that there was a roadblock?" Kotone looked it over and said, "Maybe. But... Doesn't it look a bit weird to be a tree?"

Hareta walked up to it and said, "It does look a little different compared to the other trees around here. I certainly never heard about any tree that looks like this back home." He reached out a hand to touch the bark, only to jump back as the tree wiggled at his touch! "Hey, how'd it do that?" Gold asked. Hareta walked back over to it again, hesitantly touching it with a finger, which caused it to wiggle again. Giggling, Hareta started to repeatedly tap the tree, easily amused by its "dancing." Eventually, Kotone yelled, "Hareta, knock it off! We still need to figure out a way to get past it, or no one's going to be able to use this road." Gold asked, "Couldn't Cyndaquil... You know, just kind of even out the corners? Just enough so that we could get by?" Hareta asked, "You want to set it on fire? But what if it spreads? This whole area could get up in flames!" Kotone said, "But between Totodile, Buizel, and Empoleon, we could put it out before that happens. Come on, just try it." Hareta thought about it a moment, before agreeing to give it a try.

Once Buizel, Totodile, and Empoleon were out of their Poké Balls, Hareta and Cyndaquil stood before the tree and Hareta said, "Cyndaquil, use Ember!" At this, Cyndaquil's back flared up and several small fireballs went flying towards the tree. Upon contact, however, they did nothing. "Huh? It didn't do anything?" Hareta wondered. "That's weird... Hey, Buizel, use Water Gun, just to make sure the embers are out," Gold said. Nodding, Buizel fired a stream of water out of its mouth towards the spot on the tree where the Ember attack hit. When the water hit it, the tree seemed to have more of a reaction than when Hareta had been tapping it. This caught their attention as being especially unusual. Before they could ponder this further, the ground began to rumble!

Suddenly, a Rhydon emerged from the trees nearby. The group noticed that it looked angry, and that it seemed to be looking for something. Eventually, it moved on with its search, moving away from the nearby trees where the three and their Pokémon were hiding behind. "I wonder what that Rhydon was looking for?" Kotone wondered, looking out from behind the tree. "Me too. Huh?" Gold asked, noticing that the tree was wiggling around again. "Hmm... It didn't move at all while that Rhydon was here, even though it's still wet," Gold murmured. "Wet? That's it! Empoleon, use Rain Dance!" Hareta ordered. Nodding, Empoleon began to glow blue, which caused storm clouds to appear in the air and release a downpour. As the rain fell on it, the mysterious tree suddenly began to shrink!

Kotone looked at her Pokédex, which she had received when Professor Oak stopped by New Bark Town, and said, "That's a Sudowoodo! It must've been using mud to make itself look as big as the trees around here so no one would recognize it!" Gold asked, "Hey, were you pretending to be a tree to hide from that Rhydon?" Sudowoodo sheepishly nodded its head as the effects of the Rain Dance began to die down. "You shouldn't have done that! We could have really hurt you! Besides, just because Rhydon hasn't found you yet doesn't mean it won't stop searching for you! If you want it to stop, you need to stand up to it!" Gold said. At the mention of battling against Rhydon, Sudowoodo began to tremble. "Looks like Sudowoodo feels scared of that Rhydon," Hareta mused. "Hey, stop trembling! You're tougher than you think you are! You took a Volt Tackle at full force and didn't even budge!" Gold explained. Bringing a fist up, he continued, "Come on, you don't want to have to run from it forever, right? We'll help you if you need it, so let's go!" At Gold's words, Sudowoodo began to feel a bit stronger and nodded confidently. With that, they set out with Sudowoodo to look for the Rhydon.

**A short while later...**

Hareta was crouched atop a tree, scanning the ground beneath him for the Rhydon. Suddenly, he caught sight of Rhydon and, while pointing, called, "Gold! Rhydon is headed that way!" Gold immediately began running in the direction Hareta had pointed, soon seeing the Rhydon himself. He held up the Poké Ball he had just caught Sudowoodo in and whispered, "Okay, Sudowoodo! Just remember, you're more powerful than you think! You can do this, okay? Plus, with all these trees around, it'll take time for Rhydon to recognize you! This is your best chance to strike back! Take it while you've got it!" He then threw the Poké Ball underhandedly into the bushes along the side of the path the Rhydon was on. Inside the ball, Sudowoodo focused into getting as close as it could to Rhydon while inside the ball without alerting it too early.

When Rhydon's back was turned away from where Sudowoodo was, Sudowoodo nudged the ball so that the button clicked on the ground, releasing it in a flash of light. Gathering its courage, Sudowoodo rushed at Rhydon as it was turning back around and launched a Dynamic Punch into its chest! Rhydon seemed like it wasn't beat yet, causing Sudowoodo to fret for a moment, but it then fell down onto the ground with swirls in its eyes! At this, Gold, Hareta, Kotone, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Pikachu, and Empoleon cheered for it.

After Cyndaquil and Totodile had been returned to their Poké Balls and they had moved up the road some, Gold's group stood before Sudowoodo. "You see, Sudowoodo? You're much tougher than you thought! You just needed some help to bring it out," Gold said. Sudowoodo nodded understandingly, then put a certain look on its face. Gold instantly understood what that look meant and asked, "Sudowoodo, would you like to come with us on our journey?" Sudowoodo eagerly nodded at this, so Gold brought out its Poké Ball and recalled it. He then posed as he said, "Yeah! I caught Sudowoodo!"

Hareta said, "That's awesome, Gold! You helped Sudowoodo find its courage, and you made friends with it!" Kotone added, "If you working this hard, you'll probably have a good chance at winning in the Johto League Silver Conference, you know!" Gold nodded and said, "That's just what we're going to keep doing! And you'll be working hard with Empoleon and the rest of your team too, won't you Hareta?" Hareta winked, "You know it! We'll work hard so that we'll be ready for the Johto League competition!"

Kotone spoke, "Hey look! It looks like there's something over that hill up just past the trees!" Hareta chimed, "Maybe it's Ecruteak City! Maybe we covered the path without even realizing it!" Gold agreed, "Yeah, you're right! Let's go! The Ecruteak Gym and the Tin and Brass Towers are just ahead of us!" Excited at the thoughts of seeing the famous towers, battling for the Fog Badge, and learning more about the legends of the Johto region, the trio and their Pokémon took off racing for the top of the hill.

Meanwhile, in the trees nearby, a certain red haired boy had been watching everything that had just transpired. "Feh, he caught another hopeless case. I shouldn't be surprised by this, though. Ever since he started, it's like Gold has been aiming to make sure that he loses." Standing up from his spot, Silver spoke, "So they're interested in seeing the towers, eh? Sounds like a promising place to wait for them! After all, I've already gotten the Fog Badge, so I might as well do something to pass the time before I move on to Olivine City." He then took off through the trees, cutting around the hill that Gold and the others were dashing up.

**Meanwhile, back in Sinnoh...**

A girl with green hair tied back into a long ponytail wearing a black mini dress with a white undershirt and a short pink skirt, a white beanie, a red scarf, and pink boots sighed as she sat on the grass and gazed at the sky. "It's been nearly two weeks since Hareta left, and practically nothing has happened here. I never knew I would miss traveling with him so much," she muttered.

She turned around as she heard footsteps approaching her, seeing a boy probably not much younger than herself with wild blond hair. He was wearing a green scarf, a T-shirt with orange and white stripes running across it, black pants, and brown shoes. She instantly recognized him as Jun. "What's the matter, Mitsumi? You've been sitting there looking at the sky for a while now," he commented. "Nothing. I was just thinking," she replied. Crouching down next to her, he grinned, "About me?" She glared back at him, "NO."

He stood up, "Alright, that's fine. It's just you've been acting like this ever since you found out Hareta left for Johto almost two weeks ago. It's not good to keep things bottled up like this." She stood up and faced him, "Sorry. I've just been a bit confused lately, and it's been messing with me, that's all." Jun nodded, "Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, let me know. I'm kind of free right now too, so we can talk just about any time. Even over dinner?" Mitsumi sighed, "Fine. I'll keep that in mind." Jun nodded and left, thinking, "_YES! I'm finally getting somewhere with her!_"

As she watched him walk off, Mitsumi thought, "_He can be so weird sometimes... Although Hareta does that quite a lot too. Maybe I should give him at least one chance some time._"


	14. Present and Past Run Parallel

Hareta, Gold, Kotone, and their Pokémon slowed down as they neared the top of the hill. Gazing down, they were amazed at the sight of Ecruteak City beneath them. Unlike Goldenrod City, Ecruteak appeared to be built differently, as they could see many of the buildings had been built with a more traditional style in mind; except for the Pokémon Center and Poké Mart, they were made of wood, and they could see wooden sliding doors and styles such as the Irimoya-zukuri present in some of the buildings. After admiring the view for a few seconds, Hareta and Empoleon took off at full speed down the hill, followed by Gold, Pikachu, and Kotone, who could understand their excitement.

At the bottom of the hill, they found that a torii gate stood at the entrance to the city. Passing through, they could see that the sun was beginning to set, so they decided to stay at the Pokémon Center for the night, then look for the gym and visit the towers in the morning. After a little walking around and asking, they found the Pokémon Center as the stars began to appear in the cloudless sky.

Passing through the sliding doors, they noticed a young man with brown hair coming up from the nearby escalator, who went up to the front desk and began to talk with Nurse Joy. They walked up behind him, Hareta asking, "Hello?" Turning around at this, he looked everyone over and said, "Hello there, I'm Bill. And who are all of you?" Everyone introduced themselves, Gold and Hareta introducing Empoleon and Pikachu as well. "Ah, nice to meet all of you. Would any of you happen to be from out of Johto?" Bill asked. Gold said, "Hareta is. He came here from Sinnoh." Bill replied, "Ah, that's great! Have any of you ever heard about my work on wireless and global communication?"

Kotone asked, "You mean like the Global Terminal in Goldenrod City?" Bill answered, "That's right! That's thanks to the work of my friend Celio, who lives in the Sevii Islands. He worked to establish communication between the Sevii Islands and the Kanto and Hoenn regions, which he did with the help of a pair of buddies of mine. From there, I worked with him for the past three years to help create the Global Terminals in Sinnoh and Johto. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The system was down for the past few weeks due to a disturbance that occurred late at night, which some people say was similar to what happened in Violet City two weeks ago."

Gold asked, "You know about that?" Bill answered, "Of course! A lot of people saw that vortex, even me! But anyway, I've been working on the system for these past couple of weeks, and now it's finally ready. Starting tomorrow, if you've got Pokémon in other regions, the transportation system will be able to teleport them to any Pokémon Center." Hareta said, "Wow, that's awesome, Bill!" Kotone added, "Yeah, you must be a wiz when it comes to computer programming!" Bill grinned, "Aw shucks, you're making me blush! But yeah, as a scientist, I do enjoy working on computers." He then stretched a bit and said, "Well, I think I'm ready to hit they hay. I'm heading back to my home in Goldenrod City tomorrow. It'll be great to see my folks again. Good night to you all!" With that, he headed to the other escalator and went up. After he left, Gold's group went up to Nurse Joy and asked if they could get a room for the night, to which she replied that there were plenty of rooms available. Thanking her, they followed after Bill to head for their own room.

**The next morning...**

The group managed to catch Bill in the dining area, so they ate and talked some more with him. After breakfast, he told them where the Ecruteak Gym was and how to get to the Bell and Burned Towers before he left. With that, the group decided to visit the gym first before checking out the rest of the city. However, when they arrived, they found that the gym was closed, a note being left saying that Gym Leader Morty was at the Burned Tower studying the Legendary Pokémon. Since they couldn't battle at the Gym, they decided to check out the Burned Tower to see what Morty was studying.

On their way to the tower, they were about to pass a building when they suddenly heard the sound of something crashing and someone yelling from within. Going back to see what the building was, they found that it was the Kimono Dance Theater. "The Kimono Dance Theater?! I saw one of their performances when I was in Violet City!" Kotone exclaimed. "Are they really famous?" Hareta asked. "Yes! The Charcoal Maker back in Azalea Town even said that they were going to do a dance in Ilex Forest while we were searching for you. That must've happened while we were in Goldenrod City," Kotone replied. "The sound of yelling and things smashing doesn't sound all that good. Maybe we should see what's going on," Gold suggested. Both Hareta and Kotone agreed, so they went through the nearby opening to see what happened.

Going inside, they saw a woman with long magenta hair wearing a red bodysuit being restrained by a man with short blue hair wearing a similar bodysuit and a Meowth. She was facing one of the Kimono Girls as she yelled, "How dare you call my dancing subpar?!" The Kimono Girl replied, "I'm sorry, but you insulted my dancing and then you claim that you're better than me, only to look more like a flopping Magikarp when you dance." At this, Jessie once again tried to lunge at her throat, but was still being held back, James crying, "Jessie, please, it's not worth it!" Meowth added, "We don't need dis kind of attention right now!" The group was surprised when they heard this; they didn't know that a Meowth could talk human! Still, this was serious; if something wasn't done, that lady was going to attack that Kimono Girl!

Hareta, Gold, and Kotone ran up onto the stage and Gold yelled, "Hey, you might want to listen to what they're saying to you! " Jessie turned to him and shouted, "Shut up, brat! No one insults an actor and dancer of my caliber! Or do you want to get hurt too?!" Kotone yelled, "What's your problem?! You can't take a piece of criticism?!" James managed to look at them and said, "Jessie takes advice from no one. That's the problem!" Meowth added, "Dat's what makes her Jessie!" Hareta said, "That doesn't give her the right to start up trouble!" Jessie growled, "You want trouble?! I think we can give you that! Let's battle!" She then sent her Pokémon, a Seviper! "Time for our first proper battle together! Go, Sudowoodo!" Gold called, releasing Sudowoodo from its Poké Ball. "Seviper, use Poison Tail!" Jessie commanded, Seviper's tail glowing purple as it was swung at Sudowoodo. "Dodge and use Slam, Sudowoodo!" Gold called. Sudowoodo ducked under the swing, then grabbed Seviper by the head and threw it at the ground, causing it to bounce back near the trio.

"Don't just stand there, James! Help me out here!" Jessie yelled. "Have you always been this fun? Carnivine, I choose you!" James called, his Pokémon appearing and immediately chomping him on his head. Kotone stepped up and said, "Hope you don't mind if I join in, Gold!" Gold replied, "Of course not! Hop in!" With that, Kotone released her Beautifly from its Poké Ball. Jessie called, "Seviper, use Poison Tail again!" while James called, "Carnivine, you use Bite on them this time!" Kotone went first, "Beautifly, use Stun Spore!" Beautifly's began to beat its wings, which began to release a yellow powder that spread over Seviper and Carnivine, paralyzing them. "Sudowoodo, use Double-Edge!" Gold called, Sudowoodo slamming into both of them hard and taking no recoil damage due to its Rock Head ability.

"Dat's it! I'm gonna let you have it with my Fury Swipes!" Meowth shouted. "I wouldn't count on that! Scyther, use X-Scissor!" Hareta called as he released Scyther from its Poké Ball. Meowth came close to Scyther slashing his claws, but Scyther had better reached and its X-Scissor slashed at Meowth's claws when he was close enough, seemingly cutting them down to size! "Way to go, Scyther! Use Quick Attack!" Hareta called, Scyther slamming into Meowth at a fast speed and sending him crashing into Jessie, James, and their Pokémon. "Alright, Beautifly, finish this up with Silver Wind!" Kotone called, Beautifly positioning itself and then flapping its wings, launching a wind with silver crescents at them, sending Jessie, James, Meowth, Seviper, and Carnivine out through the front door. They stood up groaning, then realized that Hareta, Gold, and Kotone had followed them out to make sure they left the premises. "Don't think you've seen the last of us, you brats!" Jessie growled. They then took off running, James shouting, "You may have won this round, but we'll find you again and make you pay for this sooner or later!"

Kotone called after them, "Sorry guys, but you get to foot your own mistakes!" The Kimono Girl from earlier came out and said, "Thank you for driving them off. I was beginning to get worried since they could've ganged up on me." Gold replied, "It was no problem, Ms..." She answered, "My name is Komomo, one of the five Kimono Girls. My sisters are out shopping, so I was keeping a watch on things when those three showed up." Hareta said, "Well, I guess it's a good thing we were passing through, then!" Komomo nodded and said, "Indeed. I hope you three will come see our dancing sometime." Kotone said, "I remember seeing all of you dance back in Violet City. It would be great to see it again." With that, they recalled their Pokémon, said their goodbyes to Komomo, and continued down the road to the Burned Tower.

**Later...**

Gold, Kotone, and Hareta stood before the Burned Tower. They could see why the people started calling it that; the base was the only part that still looked intact, while coming out of the top of the base were the burnt remains of its structure. Although the nearby sign mentioned that anyone going inside should be careful, it was open to the public, so they went in to look around.

Inside, they found a big gaping hole that covered most of the floor, as well as pieces of burnt wood littering the rest of the floor. As they looked around, a man with light brown hair wearing a white cape, a purple suit that had several crystal-like designs on it, a red bowtie, and white gloves and shoes walked up to them. He spoke, "My name's Eusine. I'm on the trail of a Pokémon named Suicune. And you three are...?" The group introduced themselves, Eusine replying, "Ah, glad to meet all of you! I heard rumors that Suicune is here in the remains of the Brass Tower, so I came to look. You're free to help me search if you want." He then began to look around a little more, heading to their left, so they decided to head to the right.

As they walked, they came across another man, who had blond hair, purple eyes, and was wearing purple, red, and black shoes, white pants, a black shirt with purple sleeves, a purple scarf that appeared red and frayed at the ends, and a purple headband. He introduced himself as Morty, the Gym Leader of Ecruteak City, explaining, "Ecruteak's Gym Leader has to study what are said to be the Legendary Pokémon- Suicune, Entei, and Raikou. Eusine is here, so I've decided to investigate the tower with him. Let me show you something I've found." He then led them to the back wall of the tower.

On the wall was a mural depicting the legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh, as well as another bird Pokémon. "These are the two Pokémon who used to visit Ecruteak before the Brass Tower was destroyed a long time ago. Have any of you heard of that legend?" Morty asked. Hareta spoke, "My grandpa told me about it. He said the tower was struck with a lightning bolt, causing a fire that burned for three days until a rain storm put it out." Morty nodded, "Yes, that's correct. And I assume you also heard about how Ho-Oh, the Pokémon who roosted atop the Tin Tower, brought three Pokémon back to life afterwards. To this day, no one has seen Ho-Oh return here or the three Pokémon that it resurrected."

Hareta was about to mention something when a voice said, "So you've finally arrived." Turning around to face the owner, everyone, even Morty, saw that it was Silver. "Silver! What are you doing here?!" Gold asked. He replied, "I originally came looking for some Legendary Pokémon that they say roosts here. But there's nothing here!" Morty spoke, "Silver, like I was just saying, that Pokémon hasn't been seen here since this tower burned down nearly 150 years ago." Silver growled, "Nothing after all of the trouble of coming to this dump? No way! Gold! I demand a battle with you!"

At this, he threw a Poké Ball, which released a Magnemite. Gold replied, "You're on, Silver! You're sure to get a lesson out of all this! Go, Geodude!" As Gold released his Geodude, Morty said, "This really isn't the place they should be battling in." Kotone replied, "Sorry, Morty. But when Silver wants something, he wants it right away. I don't think you can convince him to move elsewhere." Silver started off, calling, "Magnemite, use Magnet Bomb!" At this, Magnemite fired a ball of magnetic energy at Geodude. "Geodude, dodge and use Rock Smash!" Gold called. Geodude floated out of the way of the Magnet Bomb and slammed Magnemite with its fist, hitting it hard. "Alright, now use Rollout!" Gold called, Geodude curling up and rolling into Magnemite, Silver making no effort to have Magnemite do anything. As a result, Magnemite was knocked out and Silver simply returned it to its Poké Ball.

Silver then threw his second Poké Ball, saying, "Gastly, battle standby!" As his Pokémon appeared, Gold called, "Keep going, Geodude! Keep using Rollout!" Geodude went in for another strike when Silver ordered a Confuse Ray from Gastly, which threw it off and allowed for a Lick attack to hit, which caused Geodude to faint!

Recalling Geodude, Gold sent out Elekid, who attacked with an Ice Punch! Elekid then began to reel its arms around to charge up a Thunderbolt, which caused Gastly to faint, though it managed to get a Curse in while it was frozen, which began to make Elekid feel weak.

Silver, seeing that Elekid was getting close to fainting, sent out his Zubat and had it do an Astonish attack, which was enough to make Elekid faint. After recalling Elekid, Gold sent out his Pidgeotto, leading off with a Quick Attack that threw Zubat off-balance. It recovered though, and used Supersonic to try to confuse Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto dodged it by pulling off an Aerial Ace that knocked Zubat out.

As he recalled Zubat, Silver wore a confident smirk on his face, which worried Gold. As he threw another Poké Ball, he called, "Ursaring, standby for battle!" The Hibernator Pokémon then appeared in front of Pidgeotto, its angry look intimidating Pidgeotto somewhat. "Ursaring, use Slash!" Silver ordered. Ursaring brought its arm back and swung it forward, its claws aiming for Pidgeotto, who missed most of the attack but still got hit on the wing. "Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack!" Gold called, Pidgeotto zooming towards Ursaring. Silver ordered, "Use Secret Power." At this, Ursaring began to glow pink and it headbutted Pidgeotto as it got close, knocking it out.

Gold recalled Pidgeotto and sent out Bayleef. He started off by calling for a Razor Leaf attack that did quite a bit of damage. Silver ordered a Slash attack from Ursaring, Bayleef countering with a Tackle attack. After Bayleef hit, Silver called for a Hammer Arm, which Bayleef just barely avoided. However, the attack caused the floor to crack a bit and made it shake, throwing everyone except Silver off-balance. While the floor shook, two of Hareta's Poké Balls fell out of his jacket pocket and landed on the floor, opening to reveal Treecko and Cyndaquil. While the shaking died down, they clutched onto Hareta while Silver called for another Hammer Arm. Morty tried to tell him to stop, but Silver wouldn't listen and Ursaring attacked again, Bayleef avoiding it again. This time, the crack began to spread like a fissure towards Hareta, who moved Cyndaquil and Treecko out of the way when he saw it. He wasn't fast enough though, and the floor gave way under him, and he began to fall!

Cyndaquil and Treecko saw him fall into the bigger hole and jumped after him to help him. They managed to grab onto him and combined Flamethrower and Bullet Seed together to help slow his fall. Scanning the basement, Hareta could see that the surface beneath him was relatively flat, so thanks to Cyndaquil and Treecko, he was able to roll for a few seconds, which reduced the damage from the fall.

Back up on the first floor, Silver said, "What is he doing, falling into a hole that big? What an idiot! Serves him right!" Gold shouted, "Silver, that's not funny! He could've been really hurt by that fall!" Kotone yelled, "Don't you ever think about anyone but yourself?!" Silver just remained quiet, his face saying nothing. Morty said, "We have to make sure he's okay. My Gengar will help us get down there." He then released his Gengar, who was able to hold them all and still be able to float. Before they followed Hareta, Silver yelled, "Gold, we're in the middle of a battle!" Gold yelled back, "Not anymore! This battle is over, Silver!"

As he watched them go down into the basement, Silver muttered, "Hmph! This is why I hate battling wimps. There's no challenge in it, and they duck out when it's most convenient for them. Well, whatever. None of them could ever hope to catch a Legendary Pokémon anyway." He then left the tower, heading for Olivine City.

**In the basement...**

Morty's Gengar allowed him, Gold, Kotone, and Pikachu to reach the basement quickly and safely. Once they reached the floor, they found Hareta sitting on the ground hugging Treecko and Cyndaquil tightly, thanking them for coming to help him. This was a huge relief for everyone, since a fall like that could've broken something.

Suddenly, Pikachu's ears perked and it ran down into the indentation Hareta was sitting near. Everyone followed it, wondering what was up. They soon got their answer when they found Pikachu staring down into the deepest part of the indentation.

Down there, there were three Pokémon that seemed to be resting. "Those... They're the three Legendary Pokémon, Suicune, Entei, and Raikou!" Morty said. Suddenly, the three began to stir, and Raikou and Entei suddenly leapt through the hole in the floor above and took off running into the distance once outside. Suicune, however, hopped around the room for a minute before stopping to look at the group, then followed Entei and Raikou outside and running off as well.

Everyone stared forward for a few minutes, surprised at what they had just seen. Suddenly, they heard a voice coming from behind them and turned to see Eusine. He spoke, "I came down here when I saw what happened... As I did, I was shocked! Suicune leapt out of the hole like a blur, right in front of my eyes! For ten years, I have chased Suicune, and now I finally got to see it. I'm all choked up! Hareta, Gold, Kotone, Morty, I owe this to all of you! Thank you!" Morty spoke, "Eusine, it was just an accident. Hareta didn't mean to make Suicune and the others run like that." Eusine interrupted, "Never mind that, Morty! I heard that the Legendary Pokémon of Ecruteak test chosen humans by allowing them to get close. It's time for me to go, old friend." At Morty's questioning look, Eusine continued, "I'm going to track Suicune. May we meet again, Hareta, Gold, Kotone, and Morty! Farewell!" He then went up the nearby ladder and left the tower behind.

Gold asked, "What was that all about?" Morty turned to him and said, "Don't worry. Eusine is just like that. Once he sets his mind on something, he can't be dissuaded." He turned to Hareta and asked, "Are you sure you feel alright, Hareta?" Hareta replied, "Thanks to Treecko and Cyndaquil, I sure am! Thank you again, guys!" He gave both of them another hug, which they both returned. Morty smiled, "Maybe what Eusine said holds some truth after all. Perhaps they could sense what was in your heart, especially Suicune, which was why they didn't leave until they did." Hareta looked up at him and said, "Morty, there's something I wanted to mention before Silver came along. You see..."

**A little later, at the Pokémon Center**

"I see. So you saw the legendary Ho-Oh that day, did you?" Morty asked, to which Hareta nodded. He was wearing a few bandages, since he did get a few cuts when he rolled. "Do you know if that means anything, Morty?" Kotone asked. He replied, "It could mean any number of things. I wouldn't jump to conclusion just yet." Gold then asked, "Can we go see the Bell Tower?" Morty spoke, "I'm afraid not. Unless you have special permission, the Bell Tower is closed to everyone. Though from everything that has happened today, I have a feeling that you all may get a chance to see it soon."

He then stood up and said, "I'm going to head back to my gym. You three and your Pokémon should probably rest for a while just to make sure everything's fine. Come by the gym later and I'll let you battle me, Hareta and Gold." Both boys thanked him, and he headed for the sliding doors. Hareta looked at his Pokétch and said, "Hey, it's almost lunchtime. Why don't we grab a bite to eat before we do anything else?" Gold replied, "Good idea. I'm getting hungry too." Kotone added, "Sure. Let's see what they've got in the dining area." With that, they stood up and went to see what they could get for lunch.


	15. Pikachu's Old Friend

When they were finished having lunch, Hareta, Gold, and Kotone walked around Ecruteak City for a little while, checking out some of the other local landmarks. While they were standing by a fountain near the center of the city, they had a perfect view of the Bell Tower and what was beneath it. Sitting near its base was a shrine in the nagare-zukuri style, characterized by its very asymmetrical gabled roof, projecting outwards above the entrance. Behind the shrine, trees filled with orange and yellow leaves dotted the path to the tower, almost as if it were eternally autumn along the path. The Bell Tower itself was a massive pagoda, made entirely of wood with a massive beacon-like structure sitting at the very top.

After admiring the view for a while, Hareta and Gold decided it was time to tackle the Ecruteak Gym, so they made their way back to the gym, where they were greeted by Morty. Morty decided he wanted to face both boys at once, just like Bugsy did, and both Hareta and Gold agreed to a double battle. Morty used his Gastly, two Haunter, and Gengar against Hareta's Misdreavus and Treecko and Gold's Sudowoodo and Beedrill. It was a tough battle between the two sides, but in the end, Hareta and Gold won out, which earned them the Fog Badge! Both were happy to have won together, as were their Pokémon.

Before they left the gym, Morty said that he was sure they would see the Pokémon that fled from the Burned Tower someday, as well as Ho-Oh and the other Pokémon. He then said goodbye to them, saying he would see them again.

Back at the Pokémon Center, while they were sitting on a bench waiting for their Pokémon to heal, Kotone asked, "So where should we go next? We're about the same distance from two places." Hareta asked, "What do you mean?" Kotone grabbed her PokéGear, flipping it open and showed him the map, explaining, "From here, we can either go to Mahogany Town to the east, or we can go to Olivine City to the west. It's about the same distance from here to either of those two, so we could go either way." Hareta wasn't sure which way they should go until Gold asked, "Hey, is Mahogany Town near Blackthorn City?" Kotone replied that it was, so Gold said, "Then let's go to Olivine City first! Blackthorn City is near Route 45, and following that route would put us on Route 46, which is connected to Route 29. Since the fastest way to get to Mt. Silver would be to go back to New Bark Town, it would save us some time." Kotone replied, "That's right! It would save us a bit of travel time if we could cut straight down back to New Bark Town!" Hareta piped up, "Then let's get going!"

At that point, Nurse Joy came back with all of their Pokémon fully healed. They thanked her and let out a few of their Pokémon for some air, Hareta releasing Cyndaquil and Scyther, Gold letting out Bayleef and Pikachu, and Kotone releasing Totodile and Togepi. They all then headed west, towards the gate that was connected to Route 38.

**Later...**

While they were crossing Route 38, they had come across many Trainers looking for a battle, giving each of them a chance to let all of their Pokémon get some battle experience in. They also saw lots of wild Pokémon along the route, though they decided not to catch any of them and just let them be.

Now the trio and their Pokémon were standing in the front of a crossroad. The sign said that the path to their right would take them to the MooMoo Farm, while the path to the left would lead to Olivine City. "I've never been to a farm before. What is it?" Hareta asked, looking at the sign. Kotone explained, "A farm is a place where the owners can raise crops that are sold to stores for people to buy. Pokémon like Miltank and Mareep are also raised on farms, since their milk and wool can also be used for many things." Hareta nodded, understanding, then asked, "Can we go see it?! It sounds like a nice place!" Gold replied, "But we're so close to Olivine City! And we have to come back this way anyway, so we can just go then!" Hareta groaned, "Oh, but I wanna see it now! Come on, we don't have to stay long! Just for a little while!"

While Hareta and Gold continued to debate what to do first, the Pokémon decided to relax in the nearby grass. While they were resting, a wind coming from the direction of the MooMoo Farm blew past them, feeling nice. All of a sudden, Pikachu perked up at the scent that the wind was carrying. Sniffing it again to make sure, Pikachu gasped, "(Could it be? Is it... Him?!)"

Suddenly, Pikachu got up and dashed away from the other Pokémon and past the trio, leaving them all surprised. Wondering what was up with Pikachu, everyone ran after him, seeing that he was running in the direction of the MooMoo Farm. They didn't know what had gotten Pikachu so excited all of a sudden.

**MooMoo Farm, the pasture**

Among the Miltank that were in the pasture, a man with short brown hair and a slight fuzz just beneath his nose was walking among them. He wore a white lab coat that had a chest pocket filled with pens and a highlighter over a white collared shirt, as well as black pants and shoes. He didn't have a muscular body, but it was apparent that he tried to take care of himself. "Okay then, that completes my rounds on all of you, and everyone's still in perfect health! If only I could find more Oran Berries, I'm sure I could say the same for MooMoo soon... I'd better go check on MooMoo to make sure she's still okay," he murmured to himself.

As he began to walk out of the grass and towards the barn, he heard someone shouting, "(...tor! Doctor!)" The voice sounded very familiar to him and turned to where it was coming from. Suddenly, Pikachu ran onto the farm and, upon seeing the man, towards him. The man gasped upon seeing Pikachu and immediately crouched down to scoop Pikachu up in his arms. "(I don't believe it! It really is you, Doctor!)" Pikachu cried, the man understanding every word. "Pikachu! My old friend! I didn't know you were here too!" he exclaimed.

While the two hugged, Gold and the others arrived. Seeing the two hugging, everyone was confused on who the man was. Looking up at them, the doctor said, "Well I'll be! A traveling group of Pokémon and young homo sapiens!" Hareta asked, "What did he say?" Kotone said, "He wasn't saying anything weird. Don't worry about it."

Gold walked up to the doctor and said, "Um... Sir? Is Pikachu yours? You know, are you its Trainer?" The doctor looked at him a moment before realizing what Gold was getting at. He then replied, "Oh no, my dear boy! I'm not a Trainer! Pikachu and I just go back a ways, that's all!" Gold nodded, understanding somewhat, wondering how Pikachu knew this man.

The doctor then said, "Oh, where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Dr. Kiyoshi Masao! I'm something of a Pokémon doctor, and I like to look for ways to make the world a little greener as well. What are your names?" Everyone introduced themselves to him, as well as their Pokémon, Dr. Kiyoshi happy to meet all of them. Gold was about to ask him how he and Pikachu knew each other when Dr. Kiyoshi remembered that he was going to check on MooMoo. He set Pikachu down and said, "I'm sorry, but I need to check on the sick Miltank in the barn. Would all of you like to come with?" Everyone nodded, following him back to the barn by the house.

Walking into the barn, they saw stables for all of the Miltank that were in the pasture. Two girls were crowded around one, both looking sad. Once they got over to them, they saw that there was a Miltank in the stable, and it didn't look like it was doing very well. Gold asked, "What's wrong with that Miltank?" Dr. Kiyoshi explained, "MooMoo here fell ill a few days ago. I managed to hear about it and came to help. Unfortunately, MooMoo prefers to have Oran Berries rather than medicine, and I'm fresh out! I haven't been able to get any from the trees around here, so I've been keeping an eye on MooMoo's condition to see if I can give her something that she can handle." Hareta took his backpack off and began to rummage through it, soon pulling out a bunch of Oran Berries! He then said, "I always carry lots of berries with me since a lot of Pokémon prefer them over medicine. You can give MooMoo some!" Dr. Kiyoshi thanked him and began to give the berries to MooMoo. After about ten berries, MooMoo's cry stopped sounding weak, instead sounding much more like the way a Miltank is supposed to sound. "Thank you so much for letting me give MooMoo your berries! Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" Dr. Kiyoshi asked. Hareta replied, "Nah, that's okay. I have plenty more, and I always seem to find them around!"

Before anything else could be said, they all heard the sound of the Miltank outside yelling! Rushing outside, they saw Jessie, James, and Meowth in the field, trying to capture all the Miltank in Poké Balls! Hareta, with Cyndaquil on his shoulder, took off running into the field towards them, Scyther flying next to him. As Jessie was throwing a Poké Ball at a Miltank, Scyther blocked it with one of its scythes, causing it to fall. Before it hit the ground, Hareta got up behind it and kicked it right into Jessie's face!

After recovering from being hit, Jessie growled, "Hey, that hurt you little brat!" Hareta replied, "So what? These aren't your Miltank! They belong to the family on this farm!" Jessie smirked, "Oh really? I don't see anyone's name on them. And that means they're fair game for us!" Hareta asked, "Who are you, anyway?" Jessie called for James and Meowth, and they launched into their old routine, having the perfect reason to do it.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, dat's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime, Mime!"

At this point, Gold, Kotone, Dr. Kiyoshi, the Pokémon, and the two sisters and their parents were in the field, having caught most of the motto. "Wait, you guys are in Team Rocket?" Gold asked. Jessie replied, "Of course! We're the boss' most high ranking members, being his personal bodyguards!" James added, "No one gets to see the boss without an appointment on our watch." Meowth said, "Actually, dat was just a trip down memory lane. And dey weren't no bodyguards. Just a couple of grunts the boss didn't like no more before Team Rocket fell apart." James and Jessie turned to him and angrily yelled, "SO WERE YOU!!" Meowth looked away and said, "My situation was just a little bit different from yours..." Kotone sighed, "So in other words, you WERE the lowest of the low."

While the three continued to argue, everyone began to sneak past them, towards the pile of captured Miltank. Once they got over to them, they pressed the release button on the Poké Balls, many streams of blue light appearing as the Miltank were set free. At this point, the former Team Rocket members stopped arguing, Meowth yelling, "What're ya doin'?! We went through plenty of dough to get enough Poké Balls to steal all dese Miltank!" This got Gold, Kotone, Hareta, and their Pokémon angry, so they prepared to battle. Seeing this, Dr. Kiyoshi spoke, "Perhaps we had better move the Miltank away from here. This could get rough." Both the mother and the father of the two girls agreed, so they began to move the Miltank away from the scene of the battle.

Jessie called, "Seviper, go!" Throwing the Poké Ball, the large Fang Snake Pokémon once again appeared to battle. James, meanwhile, called, "Carnivine, I need you to bite some sense into these kids!" Once it was released, Carnivine hugged him as it chomped on his head, James groaning, "I said they need to be bit, not me!" Hareta said, "Scyther, get in there!" while Gold called, "Pikachu, let's give them a hand!" Both Pokémon leapt forward to battle Jessie and James' Pokémon at their calls.

"Seviper, use Bite attack!" Jessie called. At this, Seviper darted towards Pikachu and Scyther to attack. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Gold shouted. Pikachu darted through the air at high speed, leaving a white streak behind as it went. As Seviper tried to strike with Bite, Pikachu twisted its body around and avoided Seviper's fangs. It then grabbed onto the tail and threw Seviper through the air. While Seviper was flying, Hareta called, "Scyther, Razor Wind!" At his call, Scyther crossed its scythes as they started to glow white. It then brought them forward, several white crescent shaped energy beams emerging from them. Before the attack could hit, James called, "Carnivine, use Bullet Seed!" Carnivine then opened its maw and unleashed multiple glowing yellow seeds that met the Razor Wind head-on, causing the two to cancel each other out.

Jessie called, "Seviper, use Poison Tail on that bug!" Seviper shot forward, its tail glowing purple. Hareta called, "Scyther, use Agility and Double Team!" Scyther flashed a moment before splitting up into multiple copies, all of which went flying at high speed! Seviper looked around frantically, not only trying to find which was the real one, but also trying to see them, as fast they were moving. While it was confused, Gold called, "Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" By the time Seviper turned around to face Pikachu, its glowing tail slammed right into the side of Seviper's face. At this, James called, "Carnivine, use Bind on Pikachu!" Carnivine leapt into the air, coming down on top of Pikachu as it landed. It then wrapped Pikachu up in its roots, Pikachu crying out at this!

Hareta knew Pikachu needed help, so he called, "Scyther, use Wing Attack!" Scyther went flying at Carnivine, slamming its glowing wings into Carnivine as James had planned. While Carnivine reeled from the hit, Jessie called, "Now, Seviper! Use Poison Tail!" Seviper leapt towards Scyther and Pikachu, intending to hit them both. Scyther managed to get in front of Pikachu before the attack connected, however, taking the brunt of the attack itself. The impact caused Scyther to slam into Pikachu, knocking them both back. They quickly recovered, however, and both Hareta and Gold called for a Quick Attack, both Pikachu and Scyther sending Seviper flying into Carnivine and then sending both of them back into the trio.

At this, Kotone stepped up and asked, "Why don't we put an end to this now?" Hareta nodded and recalled Scyther back to its Poké Ball, swapping in Geodude while Kotone called out Beautifly. Hareta then called for a rollout, Gold called for a Volt Tackle, and Kotone called for Silver Wind. Geodude curled up and began rolling towards the trio, Pikachu ran next to Geodude, soon being engulfed by electricity, and Beautifly used Silver Wind to make both of them move faster while still attacking. Soon, all three attacks impacted, causing an explosion that raised a cloud of smoke!

The explosion sent Jessie, James, Meowth, Seviper, and Carnivine flying through the air. As they flew, Jessie groaned, "Why?! Why are we falling into old habits?!" Meowth said, "You just had to go and make a ruckus, ya know! If you hadn't, we could've gotten off scot-free!" James sighed, "Oh well. Here's something old we'd better start getting used to again..." At that, all three shouted, "WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!!!" This was soon followed by a "Wobbuffet!"

Back on the ground, everyone cheered for stopping them. Dr. Kiyoshi thought, "_My, Pikachu has gotten so much stronger since I last saw him. I wonder if it comes from being with that Gold boy? If so, I'm so happy for Pikachu!_" After they came back over, Kotone, Hareta, and Gold decided to stick around the farm for a little while. As they headed for the house, Pikachu spoke to Dr. Kiyoshi, "(Kiyoshi, I'm still so glad to know that you're okay. Especially after that...)" The doctor replied, "Yes I know. I certainly hope it doesn't happen again."

**Later that night**

After helping out with the chores, Gold and the others were offered to stay for dinner and the night. They were happy to accept and enjoyed the food and MooMoo Milk that evening. Dr. Kiyoshi then showed them the guest room where they would all be staying, it being big enough to fit all of them within.

As the trio and their Pokémon slept, Dr. Kiyoshi was in a small shed near the house, standing before a wooden table with various pieces of laboratory equipment on it. He appeared to be mixing something to put in a test tube he had laid out away from the others. After a while of mixing and working, he poured a dark green liquid into the test tube before putting a stopper on it.

"That should do it... I still remember when I woke up back here," he murmured to himself. Reaching into his lab coat, he felt the pendant hanging against his chest, which was a small blue stone fashioned in the shape of a gear. "I don't remember how I got there or why, but I know this object was only talked about there. Then my distraction led to... That. Now that I'm back, I don't want it to happen again. This elixir should be enough if I start to feel anything..." he whispered, concealing the test tube in his lab coat before cleaning up the table and going back inside to get some sleep.

* * *

Sorry it took so long to get this up. Had a bit of schoolwork to deal with, but I 've found a way to manage it all and still have time to write. So hopefully, next chapter won't take as long to get done.

Just so everybody knows, I'm not going to change Gold's name to Ethan, nor will I change Kotone's name to Lyra.

Well anyway, see ya!


	16. Battle at the Lighthouse

Before I begin, I just want to say that I've decided to change the names of the Rocket Executives to what they've been revealed to be. I've already updated the previous chapters, so from here on, Lance is called Proton, Athena is called Arianna, Lambda is called Petrel, and Apollo is called Archer. Just so you all know.

Now, on with the story!

* * *

**MooMoo Farm**

The following morning, Dr. Kiyoshi was up early, checking on MooMoo and the other Miltank to make sure they were all feeling fine. As he walked back inside the house, Hareta, Gold, Kotone, Pikachu, Empoleon, and Minun came down the stairs, having woken up while he was out. They were all treated to breakfast by the ranch owners, all of them sitting at the big dining table to eat. As they ate, they began to talk to each other.

"I see! So you two boys are looking to compete in the Johto League Silver Conference. And you're dream is to become an explorer someday, miss?" the man asked. "That's right! Gold and I always loved exploring when we were little, and I want to be able to explore places no one's ever been to alongside Pokémon one day!" Kotone replied. "Well good for you young lady! And I was wondering, why does your hair look a little different this morning? I could almost swear that it's starting to look a little brown," the man's wife asked. "Well, brown is her hair's natural color. It's basically going back to its normal color, right Kotone?" Gold asked, to which she nodded, relieved that it was finally fading back.

While they were talking, Dr. Kiyoshi looked at Hareta, Minun, and Empoleon, who were chatting with each other while they were eating. He wasn't surprised at how close they were after seeing firsthand what the boy was like in battle, though he was wondering how Hareta was able to understand what Empoleon and Minun were saying. Asking him about it, the doctor quickly got absorbed into the conversation that Hareta was having with his Empoleon and Minun about their first journey.

**A little later...**

After finishing breakfast and helping to clean the dishes and glasses, Hareta, Kotone, Gold and Dr. Kiyoshi gathered their things and got ready to move on. During breakfast, the doctor learned that the trio's next stop was going to be Olivine City, which was his next stop as well. He was originally going to Olivine City a few days ago, but had heard about the sick Miltank and couldn't pass up a chance to help a Pokémon that needed it. Now that MooMoo was healed, he wanted to go to Olivine City and help a Pokémon that had fallen ill there. Since they were traveling to the same location, he suggested that they travel to the city together, to which the trio agreed. After saying goodbye to the family, they all headed back to the road and began making their way down towards Olivine City.

As they continued onward, they encountered a few Trainers along Route 39. Despite some of the Pokémon that each of them had, the three were able to work closely with their Pokémon to win the battles. After Hareta and Empoleon defeated the last Trainer on the route, said goodbye to him, and Empoleon was back in his Poké Ball for a rest, the group continued onward. As they walked, Dr. Kiyoshi spoke, "I can see the lighthouse! We must be... Ugh..." The doctor suddenly began to look a bit dizzy. He also began to sweat a bit and his face seemed to be a little pale.

"Hey, are you okay doctor?" Hareta asked, concerned. Reaching into his lab coat and retrieving the test tube with the green liquid in it, Dr. Kiyoshi replied, "I'm fine... I was just up late last night... I'll feel better once I take this medicine." As he pulled the stopper off and raised the tube to his lips, Gold spoke, "If you're feeling tired, doctor, we could stop and rest for a while." The doctor drank some of the liquid in the tube before replying, "There's no need, Gold. I'm feeling better already. And sickness waits for no one, so we must press onward!" Although they were still worried, the trio and their Pokémon decided not to argue and continued walking.

**Entrance to Olivine City**

After a little more walking, the group walked down a set of stairs at the end of the path and passed between two poles that had several banners hanging down from a rope between the two, which signaled the entrance to Olivine City. Dr. Kiyoshi spoke, "Olivine City is well-known as a port city, receiving passenger ships as well as cargo ships. To help them navigate the waters, they built the Glitter Lighthouse, which is powered by an Electric-type Pokémon. And to the west on Route 40 is a large facility called the Battle Frontier." Hareta said, "This place kind of reminds me of Sunyshore City back home. It's got that same sort of scent and feel as Sunyshore."

As they walked, Kotone said, "I've heard about the Battle Frontier before. It's supposedly made to challenge the best Trainers under various sets of rules. It's kind of different to hear that there's one on a mainland though, since they're usually located on islands." Gold added, "Yeah, the first one in Hoenn was, and I heard there's one on an island in the Sinnoh region. Have you ever been to it, Hareta?" Before Hareta could say anything, he suddenly saw the Olivine Gym up ahead. As they got closer, the sliding doors suddenly opened, and a familiar red-haired boy walked out.

Silver began walking towards Gold's group, stopping once he realized they were there. "...You three again?" he asked. Gold replied, "Yeah, we just got here. What, do you want to finish up our battle?" Silver huffed and said, "Forget it. I don't have time to bother with you, Gold, or with any of these wimps." This irritated the three, while Dr. Kiyoshi looked on, wondering if they were friends with the boy. Before anyone could say anything, Silver added, "Speaking of weaklings, the Gym Leader of this city isn't in right now. Supposedly taking care of some sick Pokémon at the lighthouse." Dr. Kiyoshi spoke up, "Ah yes, that must be the Pokémon I'd heard about. Thank you for telling us that, young man. Now that Pokémon can get help soon!"

"Humph! Boo-hoo! Just let sick Pokémon go! A Pokémon that can't battle is worthless!" Silver stated. He walked past them as the trio, Pikachu, and Minun gave him angry looks. As he walked, he said, "Why don't all of you go train at the lighthouse? Who knows. Maybe you'll all get a little less pathetic." And with that, he walked down the path they had just come down, seeming to be leaving Olivine City.

"Who was that boy?" Dr. Kiyoshi asked. Gold answered, "That's Silver. I met him the day I left New Bark Town, when he stole a Cyndaquil from Professor Elm's lab. Thankfully, Cyndaquil ended up in Hareta's possession, so it's okay." Dr. Kiyoshi looked back where Silver went and said, "He certainly seems to act a bit cold, doesn't he?" Kotone replied, "That was pretty normal for him. But shouldn't we get over to the lighthouse so you can help that Pokémon, doctor?" Dr. Kiyoshi replied that they should, so they walked past the gym and began to make their way through the streets of Olivine City.

**A little later, at the Glitter Lighthouse...**

After walking around some, they arrived at the base of the Glitter Lighthouse. After looking up at its height for a few moments, they walked inside. Finding that the elevator was currently out of service, they headed up the stairs, deciding to take Silver's suggestion and get some battle experience in by challenging the Trainers along the way to the top.

As they began the climb to the top, a figure with sea green hair standing near the broken elevator watched them go. As soon as they were out of sight and the few other people on the ground floor were out of hearing range, he pulled out a radio and turned it on, saying, "Proton here. I've disabled the elevator in the Glitter Lighthouse. Once they're worn out from battling, my team and I will finish them off, Archer sir." After reporting in, he turned the radio off and walked out of the lighthouse to get his squad ready to attack.

**Later, at the top of the lighthouse...**

After quite a bit of battling and working their way around the twists and turns of the lighthouse, the group arrived on the top floor. As they walked up the final step, they saw a woman with long brown hair wearing a blue and white dress and a pair of white sandals kneeling next to a bed that held an Ampharos. It wasn't until they were right up next to her that she realized anyone was there.

"Excuse us, but are you Jasmine, the Gym Leader of Olivine City?" Gold asked. She looked at them a moment before saying, "Y-yes. I'm Jasmine..." Hareta looked at the Ampharos laying on the bed next to her and asked, "What's wrong with that Pokémon?" She replied, "...This Pokémon, Ampharos, always kept the sea lit at night. ...But it suddenly got sick... It's gasping for air..." Indeed, Ampharos' breathing was labored and its cry was weak.

Dr. Kiyoshi walked over and pulled out a small kit containing doctor tools. He then began to examine Ampharos while Jasmine and the trio stepped back to let him work. After a few minutes, he put the kit away and stood up, saying, "This is indeed a serious condition... It will take a powerful medicine to help Ampharos get better, and even then it will take time for it to recover completely. And I don't have any medicine that can help..."

Jasmine spoke up, "...Um, I talked to Chuck, the Gym Leader of Cianwood City, a little while ago, and he said that there is a wonderful pharmacy in Cianwood City... But it's across the sea, and I can't leave Amphy unattended... I hate to ask, but could someone go to Cianwood City and get some medicine for Amphy? Please?" Hareta spoke, "I'll help! I can't stand to see a Pokémon in trouble either!" Gold added, "And that goes double for me. I'm sure Kotone would want to help too." Kotone agreed, "Absolutely!" Jasmine was quite surprised at this, eventually saying, "Thank you... All of you..."

Before anything else could happen, a voice shouted, "Now! Surround them!" Suddenly, out of nowhere, a whole squad of Team Rocket Grunts broke through the glass and formed a circle around everyone! "What's going on here?!" Dr. Kiyoshi asked. A chuckle came from the steps the group had come up as Executive Proton came up them and into view. "It's very simple what's going on, old man. I'm here for revenge," he said.

Hareta exclaimed, "Look, it's Lance!" Proton almost fell over at this and yelled, "MY NAME'S NOT LANCE! IT'S PROTON!!!" Some of the grunts snickered at this, since it was rare to see Proton get angry like that. After taking a moment to calm down, Proton said, "Anyway, as I said before, I'm looking to get revenge for what happened in Azalea Town. Two of your little friends ruined our plans to make a profit by cutting off Slowpoke Tails! You remember now, old man?" Dr. Kiyoshi replied, "I wasn't there! I'm a doctor, not a Trainer!" Proton huffed, "Whatever. What you're about to be is a cadaver! Get them, but leave the small one to me!"

At that, all the Rocket Grunts called out their Pokémon to attack the surrounded group. In retaliation, Gold called out Bayleef and Buizel to battle, while Kotone sent out Togepi and Beautifly to help stop them. Dr. Kiyoshi noticed that Jasmine stood back by the bed instead of calling out her Pokémon and asked her, "Jasmine, what's the matter? Did you forget your Pokémon back at the gym?" She replied, "No... It's just... With Amphy feeling this way, I don't think I'll be able to make any good battle decisions... But I still want to keep Amphy safe." Dr. Kiyoshi nodded and came over to her to help protect Amphy from any stray shots.

While Gold and Kotone took care of the Grunts, Hareta and Proton faced each other. "I've been waiting days for this moment. Team Rocket doesn't look kindly upon failure, and I certainly won't stand for the embarrassment you caused me back in Azalea Town, brat!" Hareta replied, "Hey, you brought it on yourself! You should know better than to mess with Pokémon! If you can't learn something simple like that, it's your own fault if you lose!" Proton growled, "I'll show you just how deluded you are by showing you what it means to have power!"

With that, he called out both his Koffing and Zubat, while Hareta called out Minun and Treecko. Proton ordered Koffing to use Sludge on Treecko, causing a stream of sludge to fly from its mouth. Hareta called for Treecko to counter with an Energy Ball, Treecko gathering green energy in his mouth into a sphere and firing it at the sludge spray, the two attacks canceling each other out. Proton then ordered Zubat to use Wing Attack on Treecko, while Hareta told Treecko to use Agility. While Zubat tried desperately to hit Treecko, Hareta called for Minun to Sing on Koffing, which caused it to land on the ground snoring.

At this, Proton ordered Zubat to use Bite attack, this attack managing to hit Treecko! Hareta responded by telling Minun to use Helping Hand and Treecko to use Pound attack. Minun's cheering got through to Treecko, who slammed Zubat hard with his empowered Pound attack. Zubat went sliding across the floor back near Koffing, Proton angrily yelling at it and Koffing to get up. Zubat struggled to get back up, while Koffing's eyes opened and it started floating again. Proton ordered Koffing to use Gyro Ball, Koffing beginning to spin forward at a fast speed while a purple ring surrounded its body vertically. As it began to spin towards them, Hareta told Minun to use Thunder, his Cheering Pokémon putting every ounce of electricity into the attack. Because of the power Gyro Ball had, the Thunder attack was only able to make it stop rolling, at which point Hareta called for Treecko to use Slam on Koffing. Treecko shot through the air, spinning before slamming his tail into Koffing, sending it flying back into Zubat, who had just gotten off the ground.

As Treecko landed after leaping back over to Hareta and Minun, he began to glow! This caught everyone's attention, even that of the Grunts who were trying to take down Gold and Kotone's Pokémon. As it glowed, Treecko began to get bigger, taking on a different shape. The glow soon faded to reveal that Treecko had evolved into Grovyle, who flexed his arms and let out a shout after the glow had faded completely!

Although surprised, Proton angrily called for Zubat to use Air Cutter on Grovyle. Hareta called for Grovyle to use Bullet Seed, which knocked down each of the blue "S" shaped energy disks. Afterwards, the three leaves on Grovyle's right arm began to glow, causing Hareta to look in his Pokédex to find out what it was, finding that it was a move called Leaf Blade. Seeing that Grovyle was getting the attack ready, he called for Grovyle to use it, the leaves growing into a long, sharp blade that Grovyle slashed Zubat with, sending it flying into Koffing! This knocked them both out as they collapsed in a heap at Proton's feet.

Proton growled, having had both of his Pokémon knocked out again, this time at the same time! He glared at Hareta a few moments before he forced himself to give the order to fall back. With that, he threw something on the ground that created a layer of smoke in the area. After a minute, it quickly cleared up, revealing that Proton and his Grunts had disappeared. Although they were disappointed that they couldn't capture Proton or the Grunts, Hareta, Gold, and Kotone were happy that their Pokémon had done so well in handling that surprise ambush, especially Grovyle for his surprise evolution.

**Later, after the elevator was reactivated and a quick stop at the Pokémon Center...**

The group stood in front of the Pokémon Center's doors, Dr. Kiyoshi facing Hareta, Grovyle, Minun, Gold, Buizel, Bayleef, Pikachu, Kotone, Togepi, and Beautifly. He said, "There's a harbor to the west of here that has ferries that run to Cianwood City. It would be best to try to take one, as the area around the Whirl Islands is dangerous." Gold asked, "What are you going to do, Dr. Kiyoshi?" He answered, "I'm going to stay with Jasmine and help her keep an eye on Amphy. It would be bad if its condition were to get any worse. Please try to get the medicine back here soon."

Kotone asked, "So when we arrive, we need to go talk to Chuck, the Gym Leader of Cianwood City, about getting the medicine?" Dr. Kiyoshi nodded, then said, "Be sure to tell him that Jasmine sent you, okay?" The trio and their Pokémon nodded, then waved goodbye to the doctor as they headed west out of Olivine City to Route 40 to see if they could catch a ferry.

As he watched them leave, Dr. Kiyoshi thought, "_If I hadn't used up the last of that medicine for my elixir, they might not need to make this trip... No! If I hadn't made the elixir, it could've happened again. I felt it on the way here, and the elixir made the feeling go away. Once Amphy feels better, I can start searching for a way to get rid of it for good..._"

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Music:

Heading to Olivine City- Over the Hill (Final Fantasy IX)

Arrogant as Usual- Rival's Theme (Pokémon HGSS)

Through the City and Up the Lighthouse- Violet/Olivine City (Pokémon HGSS)

Sick Ampharos- Princess in Distress (Paper Mario)

Team Rocket's Ambush- Keeping Pace (General Guy Battle) (Paper Mario)

Grovyle for the Win!- Knight of the Wind (Crush 40) (Sonic and the Black Knight)

Thanks for reading! Anybody see the Star Trek parody?

Anyway, see you next time!


	17. Maritime Attack

**Route 40, the harbor area**

Gold's group walked out of the gate to the Battle Frontier looking disappointed. In addition to being the entrance to the Frontier, the gate also served as a place for people looking to cross the sea to find out when ships would be departing and arriving, as well as serving as a place to buy tickets or pick up pre-paid tickets. They were disappointed due to the fact that there were no openings on any of the ships that were headed for Cianwood City, so it looked like they were either going to have to wait or cross on their own.

As they sat near the water's edge pondering what course of action they should take now, a man walked up behind them. He was clad in an outfit usually worn by the captain of a ship. He asked, "Children, what's the matter?" Gold looked back at him and said, "Not much. Just trying to figure out how to get to Cianwood City from here." Kotone explained, "We just checked at the gate, and there are no openings on any of the ships that are going to be leaving soon. They're all sold out, and only Hareta has a Pokémon that's strong enough to carry any of us."

The man spoke, "Is that so? Well I have an idea then. If I were to hire you on as deckhands, you could travel on the next ship that's set to depart. If you're willing to do a little hard work, that is." Hareta jumped up and said, "You'd be willing to do that?" The captain replied, "Of course! After all, due to a little happening earlier, I'm strapped for deckhands and have been searching for anyone willing to work in exchange for safe passage to Cianwood City. Even young kids such as yourselves! So do we have a deal?" Everyone happily agreed, so he began to lead them to where his ship was currently docked.

Soon, they found themselves standing before a large, typical cruise ship at the far end of the harbor. Gold and Kotone were amazed at the sight of it, having never ridden on a ship or been so close to one before. The captain spoke, "Alright, we'll be off soon, so let's get on board and get you three to work. We've got quite a few things to take care of." As he spoke, he continued walking, aiming for the ramp leading up onto the ship, the group following behind.

**Later, out on the ocean near Route 41**

Hareta whistled as he ran his mop against the deck of the ship, cleaning up the front. It was rather relaxing to be outside with the sea breeze blowing against him, having been cooped up inside earlier. Although he didn't mind or complain, he preferred this over what he had been doing earlier. Previously, he had been cleaning out the bathroom after a couple of passengers had gotten seasick and hadn't run fast enough, as well as having to put up with the smell of lingering smoke as he cleaned up the kitchen, one of the new chefs having made a mistake that almost set the kitchen on fire. This work was rather relaxing compared to those two jobs.

As he mopped, he noticed Kotone taking orders and giving drinks to people who were relaxing on beach chairs. She had called out her Beautifly and Totodile to help carry the trays so they could meet more orders faster. After handing out the last of the drinks, she decided to talk to Hareta for a moment, having seen him earlier.

Leaning on the rail nearby, she said, "That deck sure looks clean, Hareta. You're really working to make it shine, huh?" The boy replied, "Yeah. As long as we're working, we might as well do our best. After all, we could be doing worse." Kotone giggled, "Yeah, that's for sure. There are other jobs much worse than what you were dealing with earlier. By the way, wouldn't you get the job done sooner if you let your Pokémon out?" Hareta shook his head, "Nah. They've been working hard. They deserve a break." Kotone nodded, understanding. Suddenly, she heard a passenger calling for her, so she said, "Well, back to work! See you later, Hareta!" With that, she headed to see what the passenger wanted, followed by her Totodile and Beautifly.

Meanwhile, beneath the deck of the ship, the ship's captain walked until he stood in front of a locked storeroom. Bringing a key out, he unlocked the door and, after making sure no one else was around, walked inside. Inside, a large group of human bodies were scattered about, including a man who was wearing the same outfit as the ship's captain. Glancing down at this man, the "captain" spoke, "Enjoying your nap, aren't you, captain? Along with the rest of your crew? Enjoy it while it lasts. You won't be waking up in a while anyway." He then walked out of the room and locked the door before heading for the engine room.

**A little later, up on deck near the back of the ship**

Gold, Kotone, and Hareta were looking out across the water, having been told that they could take a break by one of the other crew members. With them were Gold's Pichu, Elekid, and Buizel, Kotone's Beautifly and Totodile, and Hareta's Lucario and Golbat. As they relaxed, they saw the Whirl Islands in the distance, as well as the large whirlpools surrounding them. It would definitely be dangerous for a Pokémon to try to cross without knowing about the whirlpools beforehand.

As they watched, a sudden tremor rocked the ship, throwing them all to the ground! As they got up, Kotone groaned, "Ow... What was that?" Hareta perked up as he sniffed the air, "Hey... Do you guys smell smoke?" All the Pokémon could smell it too, and Gold and Kotone could smell it somewhat as well. Gold said, "Something must've happened in the engine room down below! Maybe we'd better see what's up!" They then began to hurry towards the nearest door that would take them below deck.

Before they could reach one of the doors, a group of sailors and deckhands suddenly got in the way, forming a barrier. Gold yelled, "Hey, what are you doing?! There's some kind of problem below deck!" One of the sailors said, "There's no problem below deck. Only one above deck!" Suddenly, all the sailors and deckhands threw their outfits off to reveal that they were Team Rocket Grunts! The Grunt continued, "You kids have been running around on your own for far too long! We may just be remnants from the group that was with Proton, but we're going to make sure you three don't get in Team Rocket's way anymore! Now hand over your Pokémon and save yourselves some pain!"

At this, Hareta yelled, "I've had enough of you guys already!" Grabbing onto his Lucario's back, he called, "Lucario, use Extremespeed!" At this, Lucario became surrounded by a clear, white aura as it's legs moved in almost a blur, slamming into the Grunt barricade like a bowling ball. While they were knocked down, everyone followed after the two, Lucario having stopped quickly so they could wait for them.

The Grunts were attempting to untangle themselves so they could stop the trio from getting to the engine room. Seeing this, Hareta called out his Empoleon, Luxray, Cyndaquil, and Scyther to battle. Kotone called, "Hareta, what are you doing?!" Hareta replied, "If we just leave these guys alone, they'll keep coming after us! I'll hold them off while you guys find out what's going on, okay?!" After a little bit of hesitation, Gold and Kotone agreed, running through the nearby door with their Pokémon. As Hareta turned back to face Team Rocket, one of the other Grunts said, "You're going to regret your decision, kid! Are you ready to be crushed by the full weight of Team Rocket!?!" Hareta answered, "Only if you guys are ready to stop acting like a big group of wimps!" And with that, a huge battle began!

**A short while later, in the corridors below**

Gold, Kotone, and their Pokémon rushed through the ship's hallways. After stopping to check a map of the ship, they got an idea of how to get to the engine room without running into too many dead-ends. As they hurried, they could feel the ship continuing to shake somewhat, though whether it was from the battle between Hareta and Team Rocket or because of whatever was happening in the engine room wasn't clear.

As they were nearing the engine room, a voice behind them shouted, "There they are! Capture them!" Stealing a glance over their shoulders, they saw several Rocket Grunts trying to run after them. Since they were running alongside each other in the small corridor, they weren't making much progress at all.

"Shoot! Did they manage to get past Hareta?" Gold asked. "This whole ship is probably crawling with Team Rocket members! What we saw earlier was probably only a few of them!" Kotone shouted. They continued to run through the hallways as the Grunts continued to lag further and further behind. Eventually, when Gold and Kotone were just about reach the engine room, the Grunts wised up and called out their Pokémon to battle. When Kotone heard them come out, she stopped running and turned around to face them.

Gold called, "Kotone, what's the matter?! We're just about there!" Kotone called over her shoulder, "I know, and it would be easier to deal with the problem without these guys getting in the way! You go on ahead and I'll catch up to you!" Gold was about to protest leaving her behind, but his Pokémon convinced him to let her handle things, so he continued running with them as Kotone and her Totodile and Beautifly stood ready to battle Team Rocket's Pokémon.

Soon, Gold reached the door to the engine room and pushed through it, appearing on the ground floor of the engine room. As he entered, a voice said, "So someone decided to play the hero, eh? I was expecting this." From out of the shadows, a man with purple and a purple beard wearing a Rocket uniform with lines running down the sides of the front of the shirt and a belt with several canisters on it appeared. Gold asked, "Who are you?! Did you damage the engines?!" The man said, "My name is Petrel, and no, I didn't damage them. You could say that they're temporarily out of commission."

Gold shouted, "What's that supposed to mean?! What are you trying to do?!" Petrel chuckled, "You and your friends should have known better than to get involved in our plans. If you had, we wouldn't have to resort to this. We're getting rid of you three for good, and there's nothing you can do about it." Gold exclaimed, "Then why couldn't you just face us directly?! The other people on this ship are going to be in trouble too, you know!" Petrel laughed, "So what?! What happens to them is none of my concern, especially if they've got any good Pokémon on them. As long as you and your friends are dealt with, then it doesn't matter what happens to them. If I cared, I wouldn't have gone to the trouble of knocking out the captain and his sailors and deckhands, then locked them up and posed as the captain while my underlings posed as the crew you saw."

Gold growled, "You knocked out the captain and his crew?! You're going to pay for that! Go, everybody!" At his call, Pichu, Elekid, and Buizel leapt forward to battle. Petrel sighed, "You dare challenge me? I suppose I could just knock you out with the rest of the Sleep Powder I have, but I might as well crush you since you seem so eager to be defeated." With that, he sent out his Zubat, Koffing, and Rattata.

Petrel ordered Zubat to use Wing Attack, while Gold called for Elekid to use Screech attack. The Screech got to Zubat and threw off its attack, causing Petrel to growl and order Zubat to use Bite attack. Gold allowed Elekid to get bitten, then had Elekid use Shock Wave, which, due to their contact, caused Zubat to become paralyzed! As Petrel yelled for Zubat to shake it off, Gold called for Elekid to use ThunderPunch, which knocked it out!

Recalling his Zubat, Petrel sent his Koffing next. Gold called for Elekid to take a break and had Buizel take its place. Koffing went with a Tackle attack, while Buizel used Quick Attack. Both Pokémon seemed about even in power, so Petrel commanded Koffing to use Smog attack, the poisonous gas blocking out everyone's view. This was no concern though, as Gold called for a Swift attack, Buizel launching a stream of stars from its mouth that hit Koffing dead center while also clearing the smoke! Seeing that the smoke was gone, Petrel attempted to end it all right away with a Selfdestruct attack! Gold quickly called for an Aqua Jet though, which had just enough power to knock out Koffing before it could explode and take them with it.

With his back-up plan having been stopped, Petrel called forth his Rattata, while Gold sent in his Spiky-Eared Pichu. Petrel called for a Quick Attack, though it was curiously not aimed for Pichu. Still, after it passed Pichu, Gold called for Pichu to attack with Swagger, Pichu glowing red with her arms crossed, which caused Rattata's eyes to glow red as well. Rattata ended up crashing into the wall as it tried to loop back around to attack, the increased attack power causing it to faint when it hit the wall.

The recall beam from Rattata's Pokémon came from the entrance to the engine room, causing Gold and his Pokémon to whirl around to see Petrel there! "Hey, when did you get over there?!" Gold exclaimed. Petrel chuckled, "That first Quick Attack was just to distract you while I snuck over here. I believe I will take my leave now. Enjoy the rest of your trip!" With that, he turned and ran out the door, dropping a key as he ran. Gold grabbed the key before he and his Pokémon chased after Petrel.

Petrel was already a good distance down the corridor when Gold began running after him, his longer legs helping him move quickly through the narrow corridors. "Give it up, kid! You're not going to catch me, just forg- Whoa!" Petrel exclaimed as he slid to a stop. Standing in front of him was Kotone and her Pokémon. They were all a bit battered from battling the Rocket Grunts who had already fled, but Petrel knew he was not going to get past them without getting hurt. "You were saying?" she inquired, Petrel's shoulders drooping as he knew he was caught. After Gold caught up with them, they found out that the key was for a storeroom, where the real captain and his crew were locked up. While their Pokémon kept Petrel in line, Gold and Kotone went to the storeroom and woke everyone up, explaining what had happened to them.

**A short while later...**

Petrel was locked up in the same storeroom he had locked the captain and crew up in, being held there until the engine was fixed and the ship arrived at Cianwood City. The Rocket Grunts had disappeared, some of the passengers saying that they had escaped on rubber rafts. The captain thanked Hareta, Gold, and Kotone for stopping Team Rocket's plot and promised to get them to Cianwood City as fast as the ship could go once the disabled engine was fixed.

Suddenly, the ship jerked again, throwing them all off-balance! Going out onto the deck, the captain called to one of the sailors, "What was that?! What's happening?!" The sailor replied, "Captain, sir! The ship has been drifting the whole time the engine's been out, and we're headed for one of the whirlpools near the northeast island!"

The captain exclaimed, "What?!? Has the ship's course been reversed?!?" The sailor said, "Yes, it's set to go back and turn towards safety, but the engine hasn't been fully fixed yet! What's working now isn't enough to break out of the whirlpool's suction, and there's not much time left!" And it was true; the whirlpool was getting dangerously close as they were speaking.

At this, Hareta took off running towards one of the doors, saying he was going to see if he could go help. Gold and Kotone were about to follow him when Pikachu, who was out now, suddenly called out to them. He pointed to the railing, causing the two to look over at the whirlpool up ahead. As they watched, the whirlpool suddenly vanished, and a silhouette in the shape of a massive bird darted through the water shortly afterwards! "What was that? Did it make the whirlpool disappear?" Kotone asked. Gold said, "Maybe. At any rate, let's just hope it stays gone long enough for the engine to get fully repaired."

A voice said, "Don't get your hopes up. There are still plenty of whirlpools in this area." Turning around, they saw Petrel standing in the middle of the deck! "Petrel! How did you get out?!" The Rocket Executive laughed, "Oh please! Didn't your momma always tell you to come prepared?" He gestured to his belt, revealing the lock-picking tools he had. Kotone said, "That's fine! We'll just have to lock you back in there without your tools!" Petrel just laughed as he ran to the railing on the other side as Gold, Kotone, and their Pokémon began to approach him. Once he stood next to the railing, he turned back to them and said, "No matter what you do, you won't stop Team Rocket's revival!" And with that, he leapt off the side of the ship! When Gold and Kotone looked over the side where he jumped, they saw nothing but water...

**Down in the engine room**

Hareta dashed through the door to the engine room, having gone down a few wrong turns on his way there. At the far end of the room, he saw the sailor who had been assigned to work on the engine and ran over to him. The sailor asked, "What are you doing down here?" Hareta replied, "I came to see if I could help you get the engine fixed faster! The ship is headed for a whirlpool!" The sailor gasped "Oh no! The engine is ready to go, but it has no power and I have no way to give it any!" At this, Hareta grabbed the Poké Balls containing Luxray, Misdreavus, and Minun and released them. Once they had all appeared, he called for Luxray and Minun to use Thunder and Misdreavus to use Thunderbolt. They all did as they were told, each focusing their electricity on one spot to recharge the engine faster.

**Later, near the pool on deck...**

"Wow! You guys saw a bird in the water?!" Hareta exclaimed, having been told about what had happened while he was in the engine room. "Yeah! It was hard to tell what it was exactly, but it sure looked big!" Kotone replied, Gold nodding as well. "Man, that's awesome... Wonder if it lives somewhere in the Whirl Islands?" Hareta asked. "Well, if we get a chance to come back in the future, maybe we'll take a look," Gold said.

They and all of their Pokémon decided to relax and enjoy the rest of the trip to Cianwood City, the captain having told them they didn't have to do any more work. It was a shame that Petrel had disappeared, but they figured he was okay. And knowing Team Rocket's work, it probably wouldn't take too long for them to stumble onto another plot. Hopefully, they could find the leader and capture him soon, in order to prevent Team Rocket from coming back together for good.

**Meanwhile, in New Bark Town...**

Gold's mother was tending to the sink in the kitchen, making sure to keep it spotless the way she liked it to be. As she worked, she thought, "_I hope Gold likes the gift I'm sending him. After all, I bought it using the money he's been sending me whenever he wins in a battle against a Trainer. Since he mentioned they were looking to go to Cianwood City when I talked to him earlier, he should get it in a few days._"

**And on Route 39...**

Dr. Kiyoshi was checking the trees along the side of the route, searching for berries. He thought to himself, "_Even if it won't help, Amphy would probably like to have some berry juice. And I will be able to use the leftovers for making more elixir... It happened again just now, and I don't have much left... I might need to increase the elixir's intensity..._"

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Hope you liked this chapter! Leave a review if you want to!


	18. Muscle Match

**Cianwood City port**

After a few more hours on the rough seas surrounding Cianwood City, the ship that Gold, Kotone, and Hareta were riding on made it to the port. The captain came down to say goodbye before they left, once again telling them how grateful he was. Afterwards, the group set out to look for Chuck, the Cianwood City Gym Leader, while the captain and his crew got to work on the ship, since there were a lot of repairs to take care of.

As the captain went back on the ship and Gold's group left, Jessie, James, and Meowth fell off of one of the anchors and onto the ground. As they sat up, they began groaning about having to cross the sea while hanging to the anchor for dear life while something was going on aboard the ship; their conversation was cut off when Jessie's Wobbuffet appeared, shouting "Wobbuffet!" Pulling out its Poké Ball, Jessie groaned, "We don't need any extra commentary from you..." She recalled it, then she, James, and Meowth stood up and began to head into Cianwood City, hoping to find someplace to rest and maybe get something to eat for a very low price.

Meanwhile, Gold's group wandered through the city, searching for the gym. As they rounded a corner, they heard what sounded like a battle going on just up ahead. Following the sound, they came across a large building built in a traditional Japanese style. Peeking inside the gate just outside the entrance, they saw a Primeape and a Poliwrath trying to overpower each other. Looking around a little more, they saw a man with brown hair and a brown mustache watching them with his arms crossed. He had no shirt on, but was wearing white arm bands and frayed red pants that had a black belt wrapped around the waist and were white on the bottom of the legs.

As they watched his Pokémon battle, the man suddenly noticed them standing at the gate and called, "Hey, what are you kids doing there?" Seeing that he knew they were there, the group stepped inside and came over, Gold saying, "Uh, sorry sir. We were just watching your Pokémon practicing." The man grinned and said, "Heh, so you were! There's nothing wrong with that! After all, I'm really proud of how tough my Fighting-type Pokémon are! They train not just with each other, but with me as well! It's good training for both of us!"

Gold and Kotone seemed a bit surprised that he trained with his Pokémon that way, Kotone asking, "Isn't that a little dangerous? I mean, what if you got caught by a really dangerous attack like Seismic Toss?" The man laughed, "Ha, I suppose it could be! But after a while of hard training, you really get used to it! Training with them like that doesn't just help you understand them better, it's good for you too!" Kotone glanced the man over, seeing that he seemed to be a bit overweight, before saying, "I guess I'll take your word for it..."

Gold asked, "But you wouldn't, you know, try to fight in a Pokémon battle yourself, right?" The man laughed, "Of course not! It would be disrespectful to the Pokémon if they were to get beaten by a human!" A woman, who had been watching the conversation from near the building, came closer and said, "That's not the only reason. My flabby husband here happens to get tired out very easily, which makes him an easy target." The man got angry at her while the group giggled at this. Hareta then said, "He probably would be able to defend against a Pokémon's attacks. He looks like he's got the muscle for it."

The man laughed, "Ha, I don't know about that! You know how much power you'd have to put into defending yourself to stop a Pokémon's attack?" Hareta replied, "Actually, I do! I was in this really fierce battle once, one where my opponent knew everything I was going to do before it could happen. The only way to turn it around was to join the battle with my two Pokémon. I didn't personally attack any of her Pokémon, I just helped defend my team from their attacks."

The man looked at him in surprise for a moment, then grinned, "Really? Then that must mean you've come here to challenge me, the Cianwood City Gym Leader!" This caught everyone by surprise, not realizing that this man was the Gym Leader of Cianwood City. Gold spoke, "You're Chuck? I didn't know that!" Chuck replied, "I figured you kids had to be travelers if you didn't recognize me, but I didn't say anything since I wasn't sure if you were Trainers or Coordinators." He then turned to Hareta and asked, "What's your name, kiddo?" Hareta told him his name, to which Chuck said, "I see. So you're here to battle me for the Storm Badge, isn't that right?" Hareta replied, "Yeah, that's right! Oh, and we're also here on an errand."

Chuck inquired what errand they were running, and they explained to him about getting medicine for Amphy back in Olivine City. At this, Chuck said, "Ah, yes. Jasmine called me earlier, saying that a group of kids was coming to get the medicine for her while she watched her Ampharos. After I heard this, I went to the pharmacy and asked for the strongest medicine they could get." Gold asked, "And did you get it?" Chuck replied, "Unfortunately, the guy said that they were out of SecretPotion, though he said that they would be getting a shipment in tomorrow afternoon." Kotone looked up at the sky, seeing that it was a very deep orange, indicating the sun would be setting soon, and said, "Yeah, I suppose it wouldn't be a good idea to get a shipment in overnight with the waters as rough as they are."

Chuck nodded, "Right, and the guy's supposed to call me when he gets it. So I'll tell you what we'll do. You three get here bright and early tomorrow, and I'll have a battle with Hareta and anyone else who wants to challenge me for a Storm Badge. By then, afternoon should've rolled around, and I'll give you the medicine to take back! How does that sound?" The group agreed to this, then decided to head for the nearby Pokémon Center to get their Pokémon healed and rest for the night.

**The following morning...**

As they had promised Chuck, the group arrived at the gym early in the morning after getting breakfast at the Pokémon Center. Walking inside, Chuck's wife greeted them and showed them to a room where Chuck was training with his students. Upon seeing the group, he invited his students to come watch the battle and led them all to the gym's battle arena.

After the trio had removed their shoes, like the rest of Chuck's students, Gold, Kotone, and Pikachu sat with Chuck's students along the wall while Hareta stepped into the challenger's box and Chuck stepped into the Gym Leader's box. The judge for the battle announced that both Chuck and Hareta would use two Pokémon and that only Hareta could make substitutions. Since they both understood, he called for the battle to begin!

Chuck called out his Primeape for his first Pokémon, while Hareta called out Kadabra. Chuck led off the battle by calling for Primeape to use Hidden Power, multiple white spheres appearing around Primeape and being sent towards Kadabra. Hareta countered by calling for Confusion, Kadabra's eyes glowing red as it used its Psychic powers to force the spheres to stop and explode. Chuck took advantage of Kadabra being distracted to call for a Cross Chop attack. However, Hareta quickly retaliated by calling for a ThunderPunch, knowing there was no time for Kadabra to use its Psychic-type moves. The two attacks collided with each other, both straining to overpower the other.

Eventually, the two attacks created an explosion, blowing the two back. "Primeape, use Thrash!" Chuck ordered, causing Primeape's eyes to appear crazed as it began to rampage towards Kadabra. "Kadabra, use Reflect!" Hareta shouted, Kadabra sticking out a hand that caused a blue barrier to form around its front. Primeape's thrashing eventually managed to overcome the added Defense and began to pound Kadabra! Before Kadabra was defeated, the aftereffects of Thrash began to take effect as Primeape became confused. As Primeape prepared to go on an uncontrolled rampage, Hareta called for a Psycho Cut, Kadabra striking Primeape's weak spot and knocking it out! Although Kadabra stayed up for a few seconds after Primeape landed on its back, it too fell over, resulting in a double knockout!

As the two recalled their Pokémon, Gold and Kotone were talking with each other on the sidelines. "Kadabra gave it its all, but I guess Primeape was just too powerful for it to stay up for long," Kotone said. "Yeah, and this next battle will determine who wins it. Wonder who Hareta's gonna go with," Gold replied.

After thanking their Pokémon, Hareta and Chuck sent out their last Pokémon. As expected, Chuck sent out his Poliwrath, who gave off a battle cry as it appeared. Hareta sent out his Grovyle for this battle, the Grass-type's blue eyes scanning its opponent as he got into a battle position. "Ah, a fine pick for your final Pokémon! But you do know that even though you have a type advantage, that doesn't mean you'll win!" Chuck said to Hareta, who replied, "Of course not! But I know Grovyle's been itching for another battle, and I wasn't gonna disappoint him! We'll win this by working together, not because we have the advantage!" Chuck laughed, "Ha ha! You've got the heart of a battler and a passionate soul, Hareta! Now let's get this last battle started!"

Hareta called, "Grovyle, use Quick Attack!" At his call, Grovyle shot towards Poliwrath, leaving a trail of white behind him. In turn, Chuck called, "Poliwrath, use Focus Energy! Force it back!" Poliwrath's body began to glow a light blue, Poliwrath tensing up as it prepared for Grovyle to strike. When Grovyle slammed into it, he tried to push Poliwrath back, but was eventually pushed back himself. While Grovyle was disoriented, Chuck ordered, "Poliwrath, Focus Punch!" Poliwrath's right fist began to glow white at the call as it focused its energy into the fist. After focusing enough, it charged towards Grovyle, who was laying on the ground. As it got closer, Hareta shouted, "Grovyle, use Leaf Blade!" The leaves on Grovyle's left arm glowed green and grew into a blade, Grovyle bringing it up and slamming it into Poliwrath's fist. As they pushed against each other, Focus Punch suddenly began to overpower the Leaf Blade and slammed down into Grovyle, creating a cloud of dust as it hit hard!

The dust obscured everyone's view of Grovyle, though they were certain that Grovyle wouldn't be able to survive such a direct hit. When the dust cleared, however, they were surprised to see Grovyle nowhere in sight! Hareta smiled, "Grovyle, use Dig!" Suddenly, Grovyle burst up out from under Poliwrath and sent it flying! After it landed hard on its front, Chuck called, "Hang in there Poliwrath! Focus and use Water Gun!" Poliwrath managed to climb to its feet and fired a stream of water out from the middle of its swirly-patterned stomach. Hareta shouted, "Grovyle, use Bullet Seed and push forward!" Grovyle ran for Poliwrath, opening his mouth and firing a stream of glowing yellow seeds at the Water Gun as he ran. The two attacks were about even, neither one giving an inch. Once Grovyle was close enough, Hareta called, "Grovyle, jump and use Energy Ball!" At this, Grovyle stopped using Bullet Seed and leapt up before Water Gun could hit, bringing his hands together to form the Energy Ball between them. As the attack was almost fully charged, Chuck yelled, "Poliwrath, Hypnosis!" Poliwrath's eyes began to glow blue at this, but it wasn't fast enough and Grovyle threw his Energy Ball at Poliwrath, the attack exploding upon contact!

Poliwrath fell over a few moments after the attack hit, the judge declaring Poliwrath unable to battle! Chuck looked surprised for a few moments before smiling and recalling Poliwrath, thanking it for doing a good job, while Hareta was hugging Grovyle, who crossed his arms and looked as if he was neutral about Hareta's affections. Chuck approached Hareta, saying, "That was a spectacular battle, Hareta. Grovyle really caught us off guard with that unexpected Dig attack. I didn't even hear you call it!" Hareta, letting go of Grovyle, replied, "I actually didn't say anything. But Grovyle knew what I was thinking somehow!" Chuck grinned, "Well, that just goes to show just how strong a bond you two have! Being so close allowed you to tell Grovyle what to do without the need to speak!" The two shook hands, Chuck congratulating Hareta for giving him a great battle, while everyone else cheered. Chuck then awarded Hareta the Storm Badge, then turned towards Gold, Pikachu, and Kotone and said, "Hey, we've still got a little while before lunch! Which one of you two wants to battle with me now?!"

**Later...**

After a tough and very close battle against Chuck's Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee, Gold's Pikachu and Bayleef won him the Storm Badge as well! Chuck said Kotone could also fight him if she wanted to challenge his Medicham and Breloom, but Kotone said that she would pass this time, thanking him for the offer. By that time, it was lunch, so Chuck treated everyone to lunch in the Gym's dinner hall, everyone kneeling at the table as they ate and talked.

Now the trio and their Pokémon were sitting along the beach, watching the water as they waited for Chuck. He had gotten the call from the pharmacy a little while ago and went to go pick up the SecretPotion. They were wondering if the guy at the pharmacy was giving him a hard time when Hareta looked over his shoulder to see Chuck limping towards them. He ran over to Chuck, followed by Gold and Kotone. "Chuck, what happened?" Gold asked. Chuck replied, "After I left the pharmacy, I got hurt in a little Pokémon scuffle." Hareta asked, "Were you attacked by Team Rocket?" Chuck shook his head, so Gold asked, "Did one of your Pokémon get confused in a battle?" Again, Chuck shook his head, and Kotone asked, "Did a stray attack during a battle hit you?" Chuck spoke, "No, none of those! Actually, as I was walking down the street, this little kid was bouncing around with his Grumpig, and they overshot a bounce and landed on me." This made the trio and their Pokémon sweat.

After a moment, Gold asked, "But you got the medicine, right?" Chuck replied that he did, so Kotone said, "Great! We'll take it back to Jasmine right away!" But Chuck sat down and said, "Now hold on a moment. Let's just think this through." Hareta asked, "Think? Think about what?" Chuck replied, "Typically, Gym Leaders need to be in good health when they accept challengers. But I must've pulled something when that Grumpig landed on me, because this is really painful... So technically, I'd have to close the Gym until I got better, but I can't do that! When I'm not taking on challengers, I train for hours! I have never needed to close the gym!" Kotone said, "But you can't be standing if it hurts! That might make it worse." Chuck nodded, "Yes. So what to do..." Suddenly, his face perked up and he said, "I've got it! Gold, how would you like to be the temporary Gym Leader of Cianwood City?"

Everyone's eyes widened at this, Gold managing to find enough of his voice to ask, "WHAT?!? You want me to be a Gym Leader?!?" Chuck replied, "Of course! A Gym Leader can have a temporary Gym Leader for up to a month. Since I don't know when this'll heal, I'd like you to take my place just for a few days." Hareta asked, "But who's going to take the medicine back to Jasmine?" Chuck replied, "I will! I've been out to the Whirl Islands before with my Poliwrath, so we know our way around the whirlpools. I even know a little spot where we can rest for the night, since it is starting to get late. If all goes well, it shouldn't take more than two days to get to Olivine City and back." Gold sighed, "I suppose that's good, but... Why are you asking me? Can't you ask one of your students or someone else?" Chuck stood up and hobbled over to Gold, placing a hand on his shoulder while saying, "Because I trust you, Gold. I trust you and your friends to take care of my gym while I take care of your errand. Just work together and you'll be fine! So will you do it?" Gold looked down, thinking. Kotone asked, "Gold...?" Gold looked up at Chuck and replied, "Okay, Chuck! I'll do it!" Chuck grinned, "I knew you would! You've got that look to you!"

Chuck then called out his Poliwrath, who helped him over to the water. Promising to return soon, he called for his Poliwrath to use Surf, Poliwrath climbing into the water and letting him on its back. It then took off swimming extremely quickly, using all of its muscles. As they watched them go, Kotone said, "So you've been promoted from "Trainer" to "Gym Leader" now, huh? Hope you know what you agreed to, 'cause you're not getting any help from me!" Gold groaned, "Aw, Kotone..." She giggled, "I'm just kidding! Don't worry, I'll help you!"

As they walked up the beach, they saw Chuck's wife waiting for them. She spoke, "I heard everything. That husband of mine always seems to get hurt when doing something as simple as going to the store or taking a walk, so it's no surprise." Hareta asked, "Really?" She nodded, "Yes. I've grown quite used to it, actually. Though this is the first time I've seen him ask for a replacement. But don't worry, it'll be fine. In fact, there might be something you can help with." Gold asked, "What's that?" She explained, "We have a Tyrogue back at the Gym who's been yearning to travel and train with other Pokémon, but because it doesn't have a Trainer and doesn't have a way to get across the sea, the poor thing can only look out across the sea and dream of facing different opponents. I'll introduce you to it tomorrow. And be sure to get to the Gym early. You never know when a challenger might show up." Gold nodded, then they said their goodbyes, Gold's group heading back to the Pokémon Center for a little bit, while Chuck's wife went to tell everyone at the Gym what Chuck had decided.

**Later that night, in a house in Olivine City**

Dr. Kiyoshi had all of his equipment spread over a table as he was working feverishly on another elixir. As he worked, he mumbled, "It keeps coming... I used up the last of my elixir last night, and I didn't have time to gather these ingredients earlier because I wanted to make sure Amphy was okay... But I felt it this morning and afternoon... I just hope this will keep h- Urk!" He groaned as he almost collapsed on the table. Pushing himself up, he whispered, "No... I don't want that to happen again... I must hurry..." But as he walked over to his bag to get something out of it, he began to get hit by the feeling multiple times, each time increasing in severity. Dropping to his knees, he groaned, "N-no! It's... He's not... I..."

Suddenly, an aura that was pure black began to billow around him, the waves causing the objects around him to shake or otherwise clatter. The doctor began to tremble violently, his skin steadily changing from its peach color to a pale coloration. His clothes also began to change, appearing to rip and fray while a black cloak began to cover them. His hair, normally short and brown, suddenly became long and white, the back of his hair going over the front of his shoulders. The doctor stopped trembling as he crossed his arms over his face, then suddenly brought them out to his sides as he let out an inhuman roar, the aura around him blasting out and destroying the house he was in!

As the dust from the collapsed house settled, amidst the turned over furniture and broken glass, the doctor stood up, his cloak covering his body completely. His eyes opened, now red with black sclera instead of their normal purple with white sclera. In a demonic voice that was not his own, the doctor spoke, "You were a fool to try and hold me back, pathetic human. You should have known that there was no way to seal me forever. And now you are gone once again, and I will have my revenge on all those who thought they could stop me."

Moving one of his pale hands to his face, a blue mask that spiked on the sides and had a black mouth and eyes appeared over his face, covering his face from plain sight. Moving his hand back inside his cloak so no one could see anything unusual about him, he continued, "My power was greatly weakened after that battle. It will take time for me to recover completely, but I will be able to mask my presence as I am. Soon, I will once again have the power I seek, and everything will be mine. All of existence will tremble at the mere mention of the name... FAUST!!!"

* * *

Music:

Finding and Meeting Chuck- Cianwood City (Pokémon HGSS)

Battle with Chuck- Through the Fire (Sonic and the Black Knight)

Darkness Awakens- Those Who Come Closer (Final Fantasy X)

Fun Fact! Faust's appearance was inspired by Mask of Ice from Pokémon Special.

Hope you'll stay tuned!


	19. Pikachu's Determination

**Cianwood City gym**

"Heracross, use Fury Attack!" a Trainer shouted. At his call, the Single Horn Pokémon shot forward to attack its opponent, Gold's Pichu! Gold called, "Dodge it, Pichu!" At this, Pichu began to jump back out of the way of Heracross' thrusts, being careful not to get hit. The other Trainer called, "Heracross, switch to Take Down!" As Heracross began to fly forward, glowing yellow as it charged at high speed, Gold yelled, "Pichu, use Volt Tackle!" Pichu took off running on all fours towards Heracross, picking up speed and turning into a glowing ball of electricity! As the two collided, a large explosion resulted.

After the dust cleared, everyone could see that both Heracross and Pichu, though badly hurt and panting hard, were still standing. After a few seconds, though, it looked like Pichu was going to fall over when suddenly Heracross fell face down, knocked out. Off on the side of the field, the referee announced, "Heracross is unable to battle! Pichu is the winner, and the victory goes to Gold!" Gold happily hugged Pichu while the Trainer recalled his Heracross and thanked it for doing a great job. Coming over to Gold, he said, "Looks like you got me. I thought I had you when you chose Pichu, but I was wrong." Gold replied, "Well, Pidgeotto did managed to damage Heracross a bit before getting knocked out. That might've been helpful to Pichu."

The Trainer held out a hand, "It was sure fun battling you anyway, Gold. Can't wait to challenge you to a rematch." Gold took the extended hand, shaking it, and said, "Well, just remember I'm filling in for Chuck until he gets back. Next time you come here, he might be back." The Trainer replied, "I'll still battle you again someday. You are a traveling Trainer, after all." With that, Gold and Pichu saw the Trainer out as he headed for the Pokémon Center to heal his team.

While Gold saw the Trainer off, Kotone, Hareta, and some of the Pokémon were sitting out back, enjoying the pleasant weather. He soon joined them, sitting down next to Kotone and asking, "Have you seen that Tyrogue? I was just looking around inside and couldn't find him." She replied, "I saw him over on the practice field. He must've been watching your battle, because he wasn't there earlier." Hareta added, "Yeah, it almost looked like he'd been training for a while, even though he had just started." Gold said, "Yeah, he must've been pumped up after watching my battle just now." Kotone giggled, "Maybe, since that certainly wasn't the case with the battle you lost." Gold sighed, "Yeah, I know. Still, it was a close battle all the way to the end, so it's not like I lost badly. My Pokémon still gave it their all until the end."

Kotone stood up and said, "Well, it's almost 11:55, which means we might have some time to ourselves before any more challengers show up. Any idea what we should do now?" Hareta said, "What else? Let's eat lunch! I'm starting to get hungry!" Gold agreed, "Yeah, and I'm sure that the Pokémon are starting to get hungry too." Chuck's wife called out to them, "Lunch is just about done, you three! Get your Pokémon and come inside!" Kotone called back, "Okay, we'll be right there!" After getting all of the Pokémon together, they went inside to eat.

While they were eating and talking, Gold continued to try to get Tyrogue to open up to him, though the Scuffle Pokémon either pushed him away or just ignored him. It was definitely going to take some work for Tyrogue to become friends with Gold or anyone else, though Gold was sure that if he kept trying, he'd eventually win Tyrogue's trust.

After lunch, Hareta decided to go take a walk along the beach, heading north along the cape. His Empoleon, Luxray, Lucario, and Grovyle were walking with him, while his Cyndaquil rode on his shoulder. As they enjoyed the gentle breeze that was blowing to the west, they talked about some of the Trainers and troubles they had encountered so far on their Johto journey, wondering what was going to happen next.

All of a sudden, the gentle breeze that was blowing west suddenly turned north, becoming a wind that caught them off guard! As they looked around, Lucario closed his eyes and scanned the area with his aura, knowing that this change was not entirely natural. His aura suddenly locked onto a figure ahead of where they were, the sound of a howl suddenly being heard from that direction as well. Curious, they dashed towards the source of the sound, wondering what was happening.

Arriving at the foot of a small hill, they glanced up and were surprised at what they saw. Standing on the grass that was near the cliff behind the hill was Suicune, it's head still curled up towards the sky! Lowering its head, it spotted Hareta and seemed to gaze deep into his eyes. Although he had wanted to see Suicune again after seeing it in the Burned Tower, Hareta wasn't exactly sure what to do now. After a moment, Suicune gave a cry and, using its mighty legs, dashed around the party, seeming to be hopping as it did. After circling them once, it stopped right in front of Hareta, looking at him again. Again, a moment passed before Suicune suddenly sensed someone else approaching and dashed east, running so fast that it ran on top of the water, Hareta running to the edge of the water to watch it. As it disappeared into the distance, the north wind blew one last time before the breeze returned.

Hareta and his Pokémon continued to look where Suicune had went before they heard someone approaching them. Turning, they saw that it was Eusine! Walking up to Hareta, he said, "Hello, Hareta. I didn't expect to see you here." Hareta and his Pokémon greeted Eusine, who nodded to all of them before he looked back at Hareta and asked, "Suicune was here just now, wasn't it?" Hareta replied that it was, causing Eusine to look out at the water and say, "I thought so. I only caught a quick glimpse of it running atop the water. Suicune is beautiful and grand, and it races through towns and roads at simply awesome speeds. It's wonderful... I would love to see Suicune up close one day..."

**Meanwhile...**

Not far from the hill, Gold and Kotone were chasing Pikachu along the beach. "Hey Gold, what's gotten into Pikachu?!" Kotone yelled over to him. Gold called back, "I don't know! Pikachu's always been willful like this, even though I've had him for a while now!" Kotone huffed, "Well, I just hope no one comes to the gym until we get back. Huh?" She and Gold suddenly spotted Hareta, his Pokémon, and Eusine up ahead, which was where Pikachu was heading.

Gold called, "Hey, Hareta!" Hearing the call, Hareta looked to see Pikachu, Gold, and Kotone running towards him and Eusine. Once they all made it over, Hareta asked, "What's going on? Something fun happening?" Gold panted, "No. All of a sudden, Pikachu ran out of the gym and came running down this way. We were following him to find out what's going on." Hareta spoke, "Well, Suicune was here just a few moments ago, but it's gone now."

Kotone asked, "Suicune was here?!? Why!?!" Hareta shrugged, "Beats me. It wasn't here very long before it took off, running east towards Olivine City." Eusine chuckled, "I suppose you were drawn by Suicune's presence too. It's only natural I guess." Gold said, "But we didn't feel anything, Eusine. Pikachu just took off running and we were following him. This is the first we're hearing of this." Hareta knelt down next to Pikachu and asked, "Did you know Suicune was here? Lucario had to focus to sense its presence. Are you able to do that too?" Pikachu replied, "(Well, I was told that there was something strong out on this cape. I didn't know what it was, so I wanted to see.)"

Hareta looked confused, "You were told there was something strong? Who told you that?" Pikachu looked down, "(No one did... I just... It's...)" Gold noticed Pikachu's actions and asked, "Hareta, is something wrong?" The boy looked up at him and said, "I don't know. Pikachu seems to be acting a little different." Eusine knelt down next to Hareta and asked, "If nobody minds, I'd like to take a quick look at Pikachu. It may be that Pikachu has something on him that he'd rather not talk about." Gold asked, "You think that might be the case?" Eusine replied, "I'm not sure, but it's possible. Is that alright with you?" Gold thought a moment, then nodded.

Removing his gloves, Eusine began to carefully run his hands and fingers over Pikachu, who was incredibly tense now. At first, it seemed like there wasn't anything unusual on Pikachu, but when he ran his fingers over Pikachu's neck, he stopped. "What's this?" Eusine asked, feeling something hard there. At this, Pikachu suddenly couldn't take it anymore and tried to bite Eusine's hand, though the Mysticalman managed to avoid it as Pikachu jumped back and took on a defensive stance.

This caught everyone's attention, Gold asking, "Pikachu, what's the matter?!" Pikachu once again looked nervous, suddenly afraid to do anything. Hareta asked, "What was on Pikachu's neck, Eusine?" He replied, "I don't know. Pikachu's fur seems to be just thick enough to hide whatever it is from view." Gold said, "Pikachu, I don't know what you're nervous about, but you don't have any reason to be. If you don't want to tell us anything, you don't have to. We're just worried about the way you're acting right now." Pikachu looked down at the ground at this before mumbling something. "What was that?" Kotone asked. Hareta said, "He said Eusine can take the device off of his neck." Gold asked, "'The device?'" Hareta said, "That's what Pikachu said."

Eusine went over to Pikachu and felt along his neck again, feeling the hard object as well as what felt like a strap. Eventually, he made it to the back of Pikachu's neck, where the object was being held in place. Carefully working so as not to pull any fur, Eusine removed the object and held it up, revealing a black object that had yellow spheres on it. The sides of the object had a strap attached to them. Hareta asked, "What's that thing?" Eusine replied, "This appears to be a different model of Exp. Share. It's a device that allows the Pokémon holding it to gain experience even if they don't participate in a battle." Looking at it a bit closer, he added, "I've never seen an Exp. Share that looks like this, but there seems to be something very unusual about it..." Kotone spoke up, "Let's take it back to the Pokémon Center and take a thorough look at it!" Everyone agreed to this and headed for the Pokémon Center, Gold carrying Pikachu in his arms.

**A little later, in one of the rooms in the Pokémon Center**

Eusine was seated at the desk in the room, using the computer on it to scan the Exp. Share while Kotone and the others watched him. Hareta spoke, "Any idea yet, Eusine?" He replied, "Not since you asked me five seconds ago." Hareta said, "Sorry. I'm just not so good with machines and stuff like that. I don't know what's in them." Eusine said, "Well, I'm not so good at figuring some machines out myself. And this one is really confusing. It has all the same workings as a regular Exp. Share, but I know there's something different about it."

After a few more minutes of looking the device over, Eusine said, "Well, aside from having the basic functions of an Exp. Share, there appears to be something in here that collects information, mostly regarding Legendary Pokémon and, it seems, anything else that can harness a lot of energy." Gold asked, "What do you mean?" Eusine replied, "It's hard to explain, but it seems that if something were to exude an incredible amount of energy, this device would be able to collect information on it once it was close enough. Which is what this other device is for." Hareta asked, "What does that one do?" Eusine explained, "It seems to be a sensor of some kind, able to pick up on these sorts of energy readings and alert Pikachu or whoever is wearing it to them. But it doesn't seems to be able to tell Pikachu anything about the source of the energy."

Kotone spoke, "That must be why Pikachu was drawn to Suicune; because Suicune is a Legendary Pokémon and, by default, is capable of having a lot of energy." Gold added, "Then that silhouette we saw when we were near the Whirl Islands must've been a Legendary Pokémon too. That's why Pikachu alerted us to it!" Eusine nodded, "Yes, that would appear to be the case. And I'm assuming that none of you have any idea how this ended up on Pikachu, yes?" Everyone nodded at this.

Hareta looked at Pikachu and asked, "How come you were carrying that around with you? Were you trying to get information on Legendary Pokémon?" Pikachu replied, "(No. I was... Looking for something. Something that never should have existed. We... We weren't sure if it was destroyed or not, so I was given that and sent out to make sure it had been destroyed.)" Hareta looked confused, "What were you looking for?" Pikachu shook his head, "(It must be gone. Dr. Kiyoshi being alive confirmed it.)" Hareta looked even more confused at this.

Eusine spoke up, "If you're done, I'd like to ask a favor of you, Gold." Gold asked, "What is it?" Eusine explained, "Since this device was able to detect Suicune's presence, I'd like to take it to further my own search. If I were to have this device on one of my Pokémon, I'd be sure to track down Suicune faster!" At Eusine's words, Pikachu suddenly darted past him and grabbed the Exp. Share, jumping onto the desk and quickly jumping off. As he landed, Pikachu said, "(No! I don't know if it's gone yet! I must continue searching until I know for sure!)"

Gold said, "I guess Pikachu doesn't want to give up that Exp. Share, Eusine. Is that alright with you?" Eusine thought for a moment, then said, "I have an idea. Let's have a battle. You'll use Pikachu, and I'll use my Electrode. If I win, I get to take that Exp. Share. If you win, Pikachu gets to keep it and I'll continue my search as I always have. Is that fair?" Gold looked at Pikachu, who seemed to be determined not to give up the Exp. Share, then agreed to Eusine's proposition. He then suggested they have their battle at the Cianwood Gym, to which Eusine agreed to.

**Cianwood Gym, battlefield**

Hareta and Empoleon sat on the sidelines while Kotone served as the referee for Gold and Eusine's battle. Eusine led off by calling for a Screech attack from Electrode, which had everybody covering their ears in pain. He then called for a Thunder attack while Pikachu and Gold were distracted. The attack struck Pikachu hard, but it didn't do much damage, and not just because Pikachu was an Electric-type. Gold called for Pikachu to use Light Screen to further reduce any more damage, after which Eusine had Electrode use Rollout. Knowing they needed to wait for a chance to attack, Gold called for an Agility, Pikachu running at high speed and being able to keep just ahead of Electrode.

Off on the sidelines, Hareta groaned, "Aw man, they're having so much fun right now. I wanna play too!" Kotone called back to him, "It might look like fun, Hareta, but it's not so fun when you're in a battle and they're looking to turn you into a tofu pancake." Turning her attention back to the battle, she saw that Pikachu was still doing his best to keep ahead of Electrode, though both were starting to slow down now.

Seeing a chance, Gold called for Pikachu to use Iron Tail, Pikachu stopping and quickly slamming his glowing tail into Electrode, sending it flying. Eusine called for a SonicBoom, Electrode spinning in midair to fire a white shockwave towards Pikachu. Gold had Pikachu dodge, then followed up by having Pikachu use Thunder. The attack hit Electrode hard, causing it to slam into the wall! When it hit the ground, it had swirls in its eyes, indicating that it was beaten!

Eusine was shocked at the outcome of the battle. After a minute, he shut his eyes and said, "I hate to admit it, but you're the winner, Gold." He recalled his Electrode then came over to Gold and said, "You two did great, Gold. It's no wonder that you two are good friends." Gold and Pikachu were both happy to hear that. Gold then asked, "What are you going to do now, Eusine?" The Mysticalman replied, "I'm going to keep searching for Suicune now. I wish the three of you luck in all of your future endeavors. And I'm sure we'll meet again. Until then, farewell!" He then left the gym, hoping to catch the next ship to the mainland.

After Eusine left, everyone gathered around Gold and Pikachu. "Way to go, you two! You both worked really well together!" Hareta said. Kotone added, "That's what makes you two so strong, the fact that you've learned to work so well together. You know that too, don't you, Pikachu?" Pikachu nodded a bit at this. Gold crouched down next to him and said, "I'm not sure what you came to look for, Pikachu, but remember that we'll be sure to help you find it. Because we're not just friends." He scooped up Pikachu into a hug as he finished, "We're also a family." At this, Pikachu finally let go of his worries and embraced Gold back, happy that he ended up with Gold and his friends.

Suddenly, a voice called, "Um, excuse me..." Everyone turned to the door to see Chuck's wife and a boy with brown hair wearing a white T-shirt with a red Poké Ball symbol at the bottom and green jeans. "I hope you don't mind the interruption, but this boy would like to challenge you to a battle for a Storm Badge, Gold." Gold stood up and said, "That's okay. If it's a battle he wants, then I'll be happy to accept his challenge! Let's get started!"

**In Olivine City, the Olivine Lighthouse**

With a little help from his Poliwrath, Chuck finally made it to the top of the lighthouse, where Jasmine was. She turned at the sound of the footsteps and was surprised to see Chuck. "Chuck...? What are you doing here? I thought you trained too much to leave your gym for long..." Chuck replied, "Yeah, but I got in a bit of an accident late yesterday afternoon. I didn't know how long it would take to heal, so I put Gold in charge of the gym for me while I brought you the SecretPotion."

Jasmine came over and asked, "You got hurt...? What happened?" Chuck waved a hand, "Don't worry about it. It's almost fully healed now. What's important is the SecretPotion." He brought out a small pouch, which contained the SecretPotion. Jasmine gratefully accepted it and gave it to Amphy. Almost immediately, Amphy began to feel better, but it was clear that it would take a little while for Amphy to heal completely.

Chuck came over as Jasmine said, "Thank you so much for this Chuck... It's going to take a while for Amphy to get better, but I think it's already starting to look better..." Chuck replied, "It's no trouble at all. As long as Amphy starts feeling better, then it's perfectly alright. By the way, I heard there was a doctor who was helping you. Where is he?" Jasmine replied, "I'm not sure... He usually comes up early and works late to see if he can help Amphy, but he didn't show up at all today..." Chuck said, "Hmm, maybe he worked himself a bit too hard and needed to get some rest. Well, as long as you keep an eye on Amphy here, I bet it won't take long for it to be right as rain!" Jasmine asked, "You really think so...?" Chuck said he was positive, then headed for the stairs so he could get another workout before he took Poliwrath to the Pokémon Center to get some rest.

* * *

Music:

Pleasent Day- Phenac City (Pokémon Colosseum/XD: Gale of Darkness)

Encounter with Suicune- Constellation (Rejuvenation) (Okami)

Battle with Eusine- Eusine Battle (Pokémon HGSS)

Family- Route 206 (Pokémon DPPt)


	20. Win With Trust

Kotone yawned as she woke up, sitting up and stretching a bit with the morning sun shining on the floor next to her bunk bed. Looking at the bunk bed across from hers, she noted that Gold was still sawing logs and Hareta's bed was empty. "_Probably got up early to go eat. He does like to eat after all,_" she thought to herself. Smiling at the thought, she grabbed a fresh change of her usual attire, her toothbrush, a plastic cup, and a towel before heading down to the bathroom.

A while later, she was fully awake and dressed to face the day. Stopping by the mirror before she left, she took a thorough look at her hair. Looking closely at it, she could see that it had fully returned to its natural dark brown color. Happy at this, she stopped by the room to put her stuff back in her bag and briefly "checked" the ringtones on her PokéGear while she was at it, the sounds waking Gold up in the process. Snickering, Kotone said he should probably get ready before leaving to see if she could find Hareta.

Taking the escalator down to the ground floor, Kotone headed for the dining area and, as she suspected, found Hareta and several of his Pokémon hanging around one of the tables eating. When he saw her, Hareta waved and said hi to her, which she returned. She then asked, "What's good to eat this morning?" Hareta replied, "They've got French toast, buttermilk pancakes, and I think I saw other some treats somewhere. By the way, where's Gold?" Kotone said, "I just gave him a wake-up call. He'll be down in a little bit. And I'll be right back." She then headed over to one of the counters, getting some French toast, two buttermilk pancakes, and some orange juice before rejoining Hareta and his Pokémon, letting her own Pokémon out as well.

While they ate, the two enjoyed some time together, laughing and poking fun at each other. Gold and his Pokémon joined them after a little while, all of them still seeming to be sleepy, though they perked up when they saw there was still food left. They then joined in on the fun. After they were done, they cleaned up and left their dishes and silverware in a box for the stuff that needed to be washed. They then left the Pokémon Center, going to open the gym up for the day.

As they walked, Hareta noticed movement out of the corner of his right eye. Glancing in that direction, he spotted a familiar red haired boy running away from a house towards the recently completed Cliff's Edge Gate. Hareta stopped walking, wondering what Silver was up to and considering whether or not he should follow him.

Gold noticed that Hareta had stopped and called back to him, "Hey, Hareta! You okay?" Hareta turned to look at Gold and replied, "Yeah, I'm fine! I just feel like checking out the Cliff's Edge Gate. I'll catch up with you guys in a little bit." He then took off running for the entrance to the gate, which was dug out of the steep cliffs of Cianwood.

Gold and Kotone were a bit surprised when Hareta just took off like he did, but after traveling with him for so long, they had begun to get used to some of Hareta's more wild actions. Figuring he was going to go check out Routes 47 and 48 while he was at it, they both continued walking towards the gym, meeting up with Chuck's wife, who told them Chuck had called to let her know that he would be back later today.

**On Route 47**

Silver leaned against the side of the cliff wall, catching his breath. In his right hand was a Poké Ball, which contained a Sneasel he had taken from a PokéManiac named Mania. From what he had seen, this Sneasel looked to be a very powerful Pokémon. However, the PokéManiac didn't seem to think the same way he did, so he barged into his house and forced him to give him the Sneasel, Mania too scared over what Silver was doing to try to fight back. Afterwards, Silver decided to get away before the PokéManiac could call the police. He looked at the Poké Ball and said, "I could see your potential, even from afar. Unlike the weak-minded fool you were with, I will be the one to bring your power out to its fullest."

Silver turned back towards the path he had just come down as he heard footsteps approaching. "Did that wimp follow me? No matter. I will beat him down if he insists on trying to stop me," he muttered. He waited for the figure to show up, but was surprised when he saw it was Hareta. For a minute, he just looked at Hareta as he tried to remember who he was, then asked, "What do you want? Looking to give me trouble?" Hareta replied, "Nah, nothing like that! I just wanted to see what you were up to!" Silver raised an eyebrow, "You followed me out here to see what I was doing?" Hareta smiled, "Yep!" Silver turned around and growled, "I don't have time to play games with you, kid. I'm came out here partly because I'm looking for something. Now get lost." He then continued walking along the cliff edge, Hareta watching him walk.

Walking across the bridge near the Cliff Cave, Silver surveyed the area around him, eyes running across the sides of the cliffs. Walking as far as he could go, he looked at the cliff sticking out across from him, seeing the entrance to a cave on top of the ledge. "That might be it... The entrance to the remains of a tower where a mythical Pokémon could be found. Perhaps the cave back there will allow me to get closer to the water so I can get there," he murmured.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of splashing below and glanced over the edge of the cliff, curious. He was surprised to see that Hareta was swimming in the water beneath him next to his Empoleon! Even with part of its body submerged, Silver could see that Empoleon was a very well-trained Pokémon. "What... When did a kid like him get a Pokémon like that?!" Silver said in shock.

Meanwhile, Hareta and Empoleon swam between the rocks, arriving on a sandy inlet at the base of the cliff. "Whew, that was fun, Empoleon!" Hareta said, Empoleon nodding at this. Looking back up, Hareta saw Silver was still looking at both of them, so he called, "Come on down, Silver! The water's great!" Turning back to look at the cliff, Hareta wondered what was at the top, so he and Empoleon began to climb as Silver made his way back to the Cliff Cave.

Arriving at the top of the ledge, the two saw that there was a cave entrance and walked inside. Inside, they followed a blue-floored hallway, which emptied into a circular room. The broken staircases that wrapped around and the shape of the room indicated that it must've been a tower at some point. As the two looked around the inside, Hareta said, "Wow! What is this place? It feels like it's giving off this weird energy." Silver's voice spoke, "What are you, psychic?" Hareta turned around to see Silver and his Ursaring standing at the room's entrance, Silver wet and not looking too happy. Hareta replied, "No, it just feels like there's something unusual about this place, that's all."

Wiping some water off of his brow, Silver said, "As long as you're here, I might as well tell you what I know about this tower since I came here looking for it." Hareta asked, "If you came looking for it, that means it must be connected to a powerful Pokémon, doesn't it?" Silver nodded, "Yes. This tower seems to have an odd connection to the mythical Pokémon, Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza. In the ancient myths, Groudon was said to have created the land, while Kyogre was said to have created the sea. Because of their powers, the two clashed all across the world in a cataclysmic battle. However, they were stopped by the arrival of the dragon, Rayquaza, whose power was able to make the feud end. Groudon and Kyogre then took to sleep, while Rayquaza returned to its home high in the sky."

Hareta nodded slowly, trying to process this information, then asked, "So how is this tower connected to those Pokémon?" Silver replied, "I'm not sure. It's possible that this tower was where the battle between Kyogre and Groudon finally ended. But no matter. Whatever the reason, it is clearly connected to them in some way, so I came to Cianwood City to search for it and see if I could find out how to summon them. With them in my possession, I would easily become the most powerful Trainer in the world!" Hareta and Empoleon glanced at each other at this, both thinking that that was so typical of Silver.

**Meanwhile, back at the gym**

Kotone was sitting on the steps out back, watching as Gold tried to have a friendly conversation with Tyrogue, which was not going well for him. Since no Trainers had come by looking to battle, Gold thought it would be a good chance to try to get Tyrogue to trust him, though he still was having no progress.

Suddenly, Chuck's wife came out back, looking worried. She called, "Gold, Kotone, you've got to help!" Gold turned to her and asked, "What is it? What's the matter?" She replied, "The Safari Zone on Route 48 is being attacked by a mysterious trio of Pokémon thieves! The warden of the Safari Zone, Baoba, is trying to contain the attack, but he needs help!" Both Gold and Kotone replied that they would go help when suddenly Tyrogue leapt to the roof of the gym and began to head for the Safari Zone himself! Gold and Kotone chased after Tyrogue, hoping they could find Hareta along the way.

**A little later, at the lower entrance to the Cliff Cave on Route 47**

Having found no clue as to how to summon any of the mythical Pokémon, Hareta and Silver left the Embedded Tower. Crossing back to the Cliff Cave, Hareta let Silver ride on his Empoleon so that he didn't have to get any wetter than he already was. Silver objected at first, but gave in just so he could get Hareta to stop pleading him.

After Silver got off, Empoleon climbed out of the water and Hareta recalled him, thanking him for his help. After Empoleon was inside, Silver asked, "When did you get that Pokémon? I don't remember seeing it on you before." Hareta replied, "Empoleon was my first friend, and we've been together for a long time! We've gone to all kinds of places and gotten strong together!" Silver asked, "Is that so? It may be strong now, but if you were like me, it would surely be even stronger than it appears to be now."

Before Hareta could say anything, both boys heard the sound of Gold and Kotone calling for Hareta. Running back into the cave and up the ladder, Hareta met up with them as they came through their entrance. "What's going on, guys?!" Hareta asked. Gold explained, "There's a trio of thieves in the new Safari Zone! We're on our way to go deal with them and catch up to Tyrogue!" Following them up the nearby ladder, Hareta asked, "What's up with Tyrogue?" Kotone called back to him, "Tyrogue must be looking to prove his strength, because he took off when he heard about what was going on." Reaching the top of the ladder and exiting the cave, they ran across the bridge outside and began to make their way to Route 48 and the Safari Zone.

As they were running, Silver was secretly following behind. He had become interested in Hareta after seeing his Empoleon and wondered what other Pokémon he had on him, figuring that if he watched from afar, he could find out.

**The Safari Zone**

A group of park rangers and their Pokémon were battling against a huge robot that had a pot for its torso, green arms and legs, and orange hands and feet. As they were battling it, it continuously shouted "Bonsai!" One of the rangers shouted, "C'mon, team! We've already managed to release the Pokémon that this thing has captured! Now let's finish it off once and for all!" Up in the head of the robot, a familiar trio was pushing against the attacks of all of the Pokémon. Jessie laughed, "Ha! They may have gotten the Pokémon back, but our Potted Bonsai Boy Mark 2 cannot be defeated so easily!" James added, "Right then, Meowth! Get these pests out of the way so we can get back to work!" Meowth replied, "Roger dat, Jimmy!" He then pulled a lever, the robot throwing a fist towards the group of Pokémon!

All of a sudden, Tyrogue leapt over the group of Pokémon and attacked the robot's hand with a High Jump Kick! The attack had enough power to send the robot back a bit. Once it stopped struggling to stay up, Jessie growled, "How dare that blasted Tyrogue try to stop us! Would you fix that, Meowth?!" Meowth replied, "With pleasure!" He then commanded the robot to grab Tyrogue, though Tyrogue dodged its hand and slammed a Mach Punch into the robot's pot! Before Tyrogue could land and attack again though, the robot brought its right leg up and kicked Tyrogue, sending him flying into a tree!

At this point, Gold's group arrived with Baoba, who helped them get to the grassland area of the zone. Upon seeing Tyrogue collapsed at the base of a tree and the robot looking like it was going to finish him off, Gold rushed towards Tyrogue and leapt towards him, grabbing Tyrogue and rolling across the ground as the robot smashed the tree in half! Clutching Tyrogue to his chest, Gold asked, "Tyrogue, are you alright?" Tyrogue looked up at him in wonder, unable to say anything after seeing what Gold did for him. Hareta and Kotone ran over, relieved to see that they were both alright. Their attention was suddenly directed towards the robot as they heard the trio talking through its speakers.

"Prepare for trouble from the skies!"

"From beyond the stars, a nasty surprise!"

"An evil as old as the galaxy!"

"Sent here to fulfill our destiny!"

"Don't forget me!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"And Meowth are da names!"

"Anywhere there's peace in the universe..."

"Team Rocket..."

"Will be dhere..."

"To make everything worse!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime, mime!"

Kotone groaned, "Oh it's just those weirdoes again." At this, the robot fell over anime-style. Getting back up, Jessie yelled, "What was that, you little twerpette!?!" James looked over at her worriedly and said, "Jessie, wouldn't it be better to focus on just one annoyance at a time?" Meowth added, "Yeah, dat's right, Jess. We'll start small, den work our way up." Jessie seemed to calm down a bit and agreed, so the robot turned its attention to Gold and Tyrogue.

As the robot was about to deal with both of them, Hareta suddenly called out Regigigas and Misdreavus! Despite being slow, Regigigas still knocked the Potted Bonsai Boy Mark 2 back a bit with its appearance. However, Meowth laughed, "Ha ha! You think dat's gonna stop us, kid? By the time dat Slow Start ability wears off, dhere won't be anything left to protect!" Jessie and James also laughed at this, but Hareta just grinned, "Wanna bet on that? I taught Misdreavus how to use Skill Swap, you know." He looked at Misdreavus and asked, "Wanna show them what that means, Misdreavus?" Misdreavus smiled and nodded, then turned to Regigigas, who had barely moved at all since being called out. Looking at Regigigas, Misdreavus' eyes began to glow purple, Regigigas glowing purple as well. When the glow faded, Regigigas suddenly stood up quickly and gave off a loud roar!

The former members of Team Rocket cringed at this, realizing that the Skill Swap woke up Regigigas instantly. Jessie stopped cringing first and ordered Meowth to press the attack, Meowth making the robot dash towards Regigigas. Regigigas raised its arms and caught the robot's hands with its own. The two began to wrestle, Regigigas hardly needing to push at all to keep things even. As everyone watched the two grapple, Gold looked down at Tyrogue and said, "Don't worry, Tyrogue. No matter what happens now, I'll be there to help you." Tyrogue put on a small smile at this and nodded.

Meanwhile, up in the robot, Jessie was getting aggravated at Regigigas hardly moving at all, growling, "What's wrong with this machine?" James spoke, "Put the pressure on, Meowth! Get that bulk to move out of the way!" Meowth replied, "You got it!" He then raised a paw to push a button, but Hareta shouted, "This ends here! Regigigas, use Mega Punch!" At this, Regigigas drew back its right arm, its fist glowing white, then slammed it right back into robot, the force of the punch breaking the robot's torso and sending it flying in pieces, Jessie, James, and Meowth screaming as they fell to the ground face-first!

Jumping up, Jessie said, "Well, that didn't work so well." James added, "Next plan, Meowth!" Meowth replied, "Grab Tyrogue and any other Pokémon we can get and call it a day!" With that, Jessie and James released Seviper and Carnivine, Carnivine chomping onto James' head as he tried to get it to let go. As Hareta recalled Misdreavus and sent out Geodude, Tyrogue looked up at Gold and said something to him. Gold could tell that Tyrogue wanted to fight as well, though he wanted to fight as one of Gold's Pokémon. Gold nodded, and Tyrogue came up alongside Geodude to battle.

Jessie went first, commanding Seviper to use Poison Tail. While Gold looked up what moves Tyrogue knew, Hareta had Geodude use Double-Edge, Geodude slamming into Seviper hard, though not being hurt itself due to its Rock Head ability. James then called for Carnivine to use Bullet Seed, and Gold countered by calling for Tyrogue to use Vacuum Wave. At this, Tyrogue jumped and spun around to gather wind, punching once it had gathered up enough wind and releasing it in the shape of a fist, which plowed through the Bullet Seed and hit Carnivine hard. Jessie and James then tried to strike with a combined attack, Seviper using Poison Fang and Carnivine using Bite. Gold and Hareta attacked together as well, Gold going first by having Tyrogue use Bullet Punch, his right fist glowing and hitting Carnivine. Seviper tried to strike after Tyrogue hit, but he quickly back flipped and jumped away with his hands as Geodude came rolling towards the two and slammed into them with a Rollout attack. As they went flying, Geodude suddenly began to glow!

After a few moments of glowing, Geodude was revealed to have evolved into a Graveler! Hareta said, "I knew Geodude was getting ready to evolve. That's why I wanted him to take part in this battle!" After overcoming their shock, Jessie and James tried to attack together again, but it was no use as Hareta called for a Magnitude attack, Graveler glowing red and jumping into the air, stomping the ground when it landed and creating a Magnitude 8 earthquake! This was enough to unnerve Jessie, James, Meowth, Seviper, and Carnivine, though Hareta and the others held their ground while Tyrogue leapt into the air to escape any damage from the attack. When Tyrogue landed, Gold called for him to use Helping Hand on Graveler, Tyrogue generating an aura around himself that made Graveler stronger. Hareta then called for one last Rollout, the previous one having been cancelled out by the evolution. The added power from the Helping Hand allowed Graveler to not only hit the trio's Pokémon, but also crash into them and send them flying into the sky! As they went flying, they shouted, "WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!!!" They then disappeared into the distance, a star briefly being seen and a faint "Wobbuffet!" being heard.

After the group congratulated Regigigas, Graveler, and Tyrogue, Baoba thanked them for coming to help them fight off the thieves and promised that they would take care of the remains of the machine. With that, the group began to make their way back to the Pokémon Center in Cianwood City. As they left, Silver watched from behind a tree in the nearby forest area. "_Interesting... So that kid managed to catch a Legendary Pokémon... Hmm..._" the red-haired boy thought to himself.

**Cianwood City Pokémon Center**

Arriving at the Pokémon Center, the group found Chuck at the front desk! Coming over to him, Gold said, "Chuck! Did you just get back?" Chuck replied, "Yep! The waters were kind of rough today, but I managed to get back early. How about you three? Anything interesting happen while I was gone?" Kotone said, "Yeah, we actually just got done dealing with a bit of a problem at the Safari Zone." Chuck asked, "Oh? Feel like telling me about it?"

Before anyone could say anything, Nurse Joy asked, "Excuse me, Gold?" Looking at her, Gold asked, "Yes? What is it, Nurse Joy?" She replied, "A package came in for you last night from New Bark Town. Would you like it now?" Gold was surprised to hear that he had received a package, but said, "Yeah, I'll take it now. Thanks, Nurse Joy!" Nurse Joy nodded, then knelt down behind the desk and came up with a medium-sized box in her hands. Taking it, Gold thanked her again and carried it over to one of the benches in the Pokémon Center.

With a little help from Pikachu, Bayleef, and Tyrogue, the tape on the package was soon ripped off. Inside, there was a pile of clothes, atop which sat a note from Gold's mother. Picking it up, Gold read over it, seeing that it said, "Dear Gold, if you're reading this, then I've been able to keep up with your travels well. Because I know that you're a wild boy, I took some of the money you've been sending me and bought this change of clothes with it. I hope you like them, sweetie! Love, mom." After he finished reading, Gold set the note down and looked at what was in the box. Inside was a black T-shirt, a red zip-up hoodie that was fuzzy and black at the wrists, black pants that looked like they would go down just a little past his knees, white and red shoes, a new black cap that a yellow stripe that ran down the middle of it, and a grayish-white backpack that looked like a laptop bag. Pulling out the hoodie, Gold said, "Wow! Mom really does know what I like to wear!" Hareta looked at the backpack and said, "And it looks like that backpack might have more pockets and room than the one you have now."

Glancing from the clothes in the box to Gold's current outfit, Kotone suddenly realized how damaged they had become after so long. While his hat and shoes looked no worse for the wear, his hoodie, shorts, and backpack had taken quite a beating, being covered with rips and frays that she had never noticed before. Chuck also noticed this and said, "Looks like those came at just the right time! Your clothes look like they've been through quite a bit already!" Gold blushed at this, "Yeah, I guess you could say that..." Kotone said, "Aw, don't worry, Gold. You can't expect to wear one outfit and not have nothing happen to it. You could hang onto those though, just in case. At least keep them on until we head back to Olivine City."

Chuck spoke, "Ah, yes. That's what I was going to bring up with you. Amphy is feeling a lot better thanks to the medicine, but it's going to take a while for it to fully recover. And until Amphy feels better, Jasmine isn't going to be feeling up to battling. So it looks like a battle at the Olivine Gym is still going to have to wait." Gold said, "Aw man... But that's alright. It's important for Amphy to feel better before Jasmine can focus on anything else." Kotone agreed, "Yeah, that's what's important for her. But what should we do in the meantime?" Chuck suggested, "Maybe you three could take some time off. You know, go take a little break from your journey and let your Pokémon just rest. After all, my leg wasn't as hurt as I thought it was, so I can get back to my gym duties now." The trio was glad to hear Chuck was better and thought it was a good idea, but now they needed to decide where they should go.

Suddenly, Hareta asked, "Hey Chuck, do they have ferries to the Sinnoh region here in Cianwood?" Chuck nodded, "They do. Why?" Hareta replied, "Because Sinnoh is a great place to go if you want to relax! All kinds of places to visit, plenty of forests and towns, and lots of Pokémon that are hard to find here in Johto! It's a great place for traveling Trainers to stop off for any reason!" Gold chuckled, "You know Hareta, you should be a travel agent. That does sound like the perfect place to go, especially since we've got a little tour guide to help us around!" Kotone nodded, "Yeah, you said it! When does the ferry leave?" Chuck replied, "The next ferry will be leaving early tomorrow morning. And I'll tell you what. Since you came here to help Jasmine and helped me as well, I'll pay for the tickets!" The group was surprised by this and said that Chuck didn't have to do that for them, but he insisted, so they agreed to it.

**The following morning...**

Hareta and Empoleon were seated on one of the chairs in the lobby, while Gold was talking to his mom over the phone, thanking her for the new outfit he was wearing. Once Gold was done, he and Bayleef came over to Hareta and Empoleon to sit down while they waited for Kotone. Soon, she came down the escalator with her Totodile on her shoulder, wearing the new outfit she had bought at the Pokéathlon Dome. She wore the upper half of a blue pair of overalls with matching blue shorts, the upper half over a red long-sleeved shirt that had a white hood and a little black near the hood on her chest, long white socks that were black at the top, a pair of shoes that were red on top and white on the bottom, and a white cap that had a pinkish-red ribbon on the left side of the brim. She also had her light brown sling bag, which had her pink PokéGear tied around it, and her white backpack.

Coming over to the two, Kotone asked, "Well, how do I look?" Gold replied, "Wow, Kotone. I don't know what to say!" She giggled, "I'll take that as a compliment. Do you think so too, Hareta?" Hareta replied, "I agree! You sure know how to pick an outfit!" Kotone smiled, "Thank you! Should we get going now?" Gold answered, "Yeah, we should! Our ship will be leaving soon!" With that, the trio and their Pokémon left the Pokémon Center and hurried to the harbor, arriving with plenty of time before the ship left. Handing over their tickets to the man near the ramp, they boarded and immediately went to go find their rooms, prepared to enjoy the trip to Sinnoh with all of their Pokémon.

Shortly after Gold and friends boarded, a familiar red-haired boy boarded the ship as well, walking past a woman with long magenta hair, a man with short blue hair, and a Meowth who were working as deckhands as he headed for the ship's interior. As he walked, he thought, "_Sorry, Gold. You and your friends won't get to relax all the time that you're in Sinnoh. Not until I get a chance to battle with that Hareta kid._"

* * *

So there we are. Like I promised back in chapter 1, Gold and Kotone have switched out of the GSC outfits and into their HGSS outfits. Next time we see Silver, he'll be wearing his HGSS outfit as well.

I'm thinking that the break in Sinnoh will have several chapters before we get back to Johto. We'll see a few chapters based on another Pokémon game, but the main thing is Hareta will mature a bit by the time they go back. So you've got that to keep watch for.

And although it's not stated at the end, Gold has added Tyrogue to his team.

That's all I've got to say for now.


	21. Ranger Mission 1: TTOHAS Part 3

**Route 213, the Sinnoh region**

Atop a plateau stood a girl and a Pichu carrying a ukulele. The girl had a pair of red goggles that had blue lenses and a blue strap atop her brown hair, which spiked out to the sides in the back and hung down in pointy bangs in the front. She wore a yellow scarf that whipped behind her in the wind and an open red vest that was yellow on the bottom. She also had on a short sleeve shirt, shorts that had a belt, fingerless gloves, and shoes that were made to last. Except for her socks, which were yellow like her scarf, all of these were mostly blue with some red and white mixed in as stripes, though her shirt and shorts were blue with white stripes and her belt was all red except for the silver buckle.

Raising her right arm to her face, she pressed a few buttons on what appeared to be a wrist watch that sat on the wrist of her glove and waited a few moments as she listened to static. Soon, a voice said, "This is Professor Hastings. Is that you, Minami?" The girl replied, "Yes sir, Professor! Pichu and I have just arrived in the Sinnoh region." The professor spoke, "Good to hear! Let's go over your mission one more time. According to the Operators here at the Ranger Union, the Pokémon Pinchers have caught word that there have been sightings of the Gratitude Pokémon, Shaymin, in Sinnoh. Your mission is to locate Shaymin and keep it safe from the Pokémon Pinchers. Hastings out!" The communication then went dead.

Putting her hand back at her side and glancing down at Pichu, Minami said, "The sun is starting to go down now. And we've got Crasher Wake helping us in our search of the Valor Lakefront. What do you say we take a quick look around the lake, then head for the Pokémon Center, Pichu?" Pichu chirped happily, whipping its ukulele around and strumming a note, electricity sparkling as it did. It then climbed onto Minami's shoulder as she grabbed a nearby vine that was hanging down and began to climb down to the sandy beach below.

**The following morning, just off the coast of Sunyshore City**

Near the back of the cruise ship, Gold and Kotone were standing together near one of the railings, Bayleef, Pikachu, and Totodile standing close by while Beedrill and Beautifly were flying around above them. Nearby, Hareta, Empoleon, Lucario, and Grovyle were playing a game of shuffleboard, though the way they were playing it almost made it look like they were playing a game of curling. The day-long trip from Johto to Sinnoh had been a very refreshing way to start their vacation, though they hoped they would have a couple of surprises while they were in Sinnoh as well.

Raising up his left arm, Gold opened his PokéGear, which he had strapped onto the wrist of his hoodie. Switching it to the Map Card, Gold saw that it was now displaying the map of the Sinnoh region, showing that Sunyshore City was very close now. Closing it, he looked at Kotone and said, "Well, looks like we'll be getting to Sunyshore City pretty soon." Kotone nodded, "Yeah. Before we do anything else, we'll make a quick stop at the Pokémon Center." Gold nodded as well, then they looked over at Hareta, who was sliding across the deck as he pushed a shuffleboard disk before letting go of it and letting it slide across the board. Gold said, "That actually looks like a lot of fun. I've gotta try it next time!" Kotone nodded in agreement.

A little later, the ship pulled into the docks at Sunyshore City, a voice announcing over the loudspeakers in the harbor, "Welcome, passengers, to Sunyshore City, the solar powered city! Please keep in mind that the walkways here are made of solar panels, a measure taken by Sunyshore's Gym Leader, Volkner. Do not do anything that will damage the panels. Please enjoy your stay!" As the voice was speaking, the passengers disembarked down the ramps, Hareta, Gold, and Kotone among them. They had returned their Pokémon to their Poké Balls so they wouldn't run the risk of losing them in the crowd.

Briefly walking around Sunyshore City before heading for the Pokémon Center, the trio checked out the solar panel walkways and noticed that there would be some kind of festival in a few days, seeing that some people were working on setting up an area for the festival to be held at. As they went into the Pokémon Center, Silver began to follow them before realizing that he might still be recognized here. Looking around, he noticed a nearby barber shop and clothing store. He began to make his way towards both of them, deciding it was time to change his appearance a bit.

Walking up the front desk, the group greeted Nurse Joy, who recognized Hareta from before the Sinnoh League. They then asked if they could rest for a while, to which she replied that they could and inquired if they would be staying for the upcoming festival. Kotone answered, "Well, we're kind of taking a break from our journey, though we'll be traveling around to see the sights of Sinnoh while we're here." Nurse Joy replied, "I see. Well I hope you'll be able to find time to come to the festival." Gold said, "Yeah, we saw some posters around for that. What is it?" Nurse Joy answered, "It's to celebrate the mass migration of the Lapras."

Hareta asked, "Mass migration?" Nurse Joy nodded, "Yes. Every year, schools of Lapras cross the ocean to migrate to the colder regions to the north. They behavior is to travel to warmer climates such as the Orange Islands in order to raise their young. Once their young have grown, the entire pod then migrates back to the colder climates, which is their more preferred habitat. Their migration routes put them directly in the path of Sunyshore City, and they rest here before they continue their journey. Because of that, the people of Sunyshore hold this festival to welcome them and help them in any way they can." Everyone was amazed at hearing this and said that they would be sure to find time to come and see the Lapras. They then headed for the lounge area and let their Pokémon out to relax and mingle for a little while.

After a while, they left the Pokémon Center with Misdreavus, Minun, Togepi, Pikachu, and Pichu beside them and headed for the Valor Lakefront, each of them getting into a few battles with Trainers that were along Route 222. Arriving at the lakefront, they passed by the bungalows and the Seven Stars Restaurant as they headed into the forested area that surrounded Lake Valor. Coming out of the forest, they immediately found themselves at the edge of Lake Valor itself, full of water and appearing to have recovered almost completely from the Team Galactic bombing almost a year ago.

As they looked out across the lake, they heard rustling from the bushes nearby and turned to look at them. From out of the bushes hopped the ukulele Pichu, soon followed by Minami. Upon seeing the group, she said, "You three! What are you doing here? This area is currently off limits to everyone!" Gold said, "It is? We didn't know that." Looking at her attire, Kotone asked, "Are you a Pokémon Ranger?" Minami said, "Yes, I am. Now I must ask that you leave this area at once." Hareta asked, "Pokémon Ranger? What's that?" While they were talking, Misdreavus, Minun, Togepi, Pikachu, and Pichu came over to the ukulele Pichu and started talking with it. Although Pichu seemed a little unsure of them at first, it quickly warmed up to them as it began chatting happily with them. It even whipped around its ukulele and played everyone a song, the Pokémon dancing to the tune. Upon seeing this, Minami said, "Looks like Pichu can trust you. Which means I can trust you as well. Sorry for that bit of rudeness earlier. My name is Minami, a Pokémon Ranger from the Oblivia region. What are your names?"

After introductions and explanations about what Pokémon Rangers were and did were explained, the group sat with Minami at the edge of the lake while the Pokémon were listening to another of the ukulele Pichu's tunes as it sat on a log. Gold said, "Your Pichu partner is really good at playing that ukulele, Minami. How long has it been playing?" Minami replied, "I don't know, actually. Judging from what Booker said, though, Pichu has been playing the ukulele for a long time." Hareta asked, "How did you meet Pichu?" Minami answered, "Well, I and my partner Natsuya were sent to chase after the Pokémon Pinchers one day. They were chasing a Latias through the skies, so we chased after them on our Staraptor. The Latias managed to escape thanks to us, and we would've caught them had their leader, Red Eye, not shown up. He shot an energy ball at Natsuya's Staraptor, but my Staraptor and I got in the way to help him and were shot down instead. We washed up on Drop Island, which had just been attacked by the Pokémon Pinchers by the time I had regained consciousness. Pichu had managed to escape capture, so it had reason to be angry at humans. But I managed to calm it down by capturing it."

Hareta said, "Man, I hope I can see you do a capture sometime! It sounds so cool!" Minami smiled, "Well, maybe you will. Now where was I? Oh yes. Thanks to Booker, we were able to get off the island and headed for his home on Rainbow Island, which began getting attacked by the Pokémon Pinchers shortly after we arrived. Pichu took off into the forest, still mad at them, and ended up getting in trouble and having its ukulele broken. But I came to help it and later Booker fixed it for Pichu. We've been partners ever since!" Nobody said anything for a few minutes afterwards, everyone thinking about how they met their first partners.

Eventually, Kotone asked, "So how come Lake Valor is off-limits anyway, Minami?" Minami asked, "Do you know about Shaymin, the Gratitude Pokémon?" Hareta piped up, "I do!" Minami giggled, "Considering what Crasher Wake has told me about you Hareta, I suppose that's not really a surprise." Gold asked, "So what about Shaymin?" Minami answered, "Well, Shaymin has, unfortunately, caught the attention of the Pokémon Pinchers. As a Pokémon that is incredibly hard to find, I wouldn't be surprised if they want to capture it for a profit." Kotone asked, "So if you won't let anyone near the lake, does that mean that Shaymin is here?" Minami nodded, "Yes it does, Kotone. The Operators at the Ranger Union managed to track Shaymin between the Great Marsh and here. Professor Hastings then sent me to find Shaymin and keep it safe from the Pokémon Pinchers. So far, Pichu and I have had no luck, but we're not going to give up so easily!"

Suddenly, Pichu stopped playing its ukulele to look at some rustling bushes nearby. The sound attracted everyone else's attention and they turned to look as well. They all stood ready in case something attacked them. After a few moments, a small hedgehog-like Pokémon hopped out of the bushes, looking around curiously. At the sight of it, Hareta said, "Is that...? It is! Shaymin!" At the sound of its name, Shaymin looked at Hareta, who was coming over to it. Taking a moment to recognize him because of his new clothes, Shaymin let out a happy cry and ran over to him, jumping in his arms as he got close. Giving Shaymin a hug, Hareta said, "It's been so long since I last saw you, Shaymin! How've you been?" Shaymin replied, "(Mii has been doing well, but mii was hoping to see you again, Hareta-san!)"

Nearby, Minami asked, "They know each other?" Kotone answered, "Hareta did tell us this tale once about meeting Shaymin before he went to Celestic Town, then again after what happened at the Spear Pillar." Minami replied, "I see! Then it's no wonder they're so happy to see each other!" They then walked over to the two, Shaymin on the ground and meeting with the other Pokémon as well. Gold knelt down next to Shaymin and said, "Hi there! Nice to meet you, Shaymin!" At his abruptness, Shaymin looked a little nervous, but Hareta knelt beside Shaymin and said, "Don't worry, Shaymin. You don't have to be afraid." Picking Shaymin up, Hareta introduced it to everyone, "This is Gold and Kotone from New Bark Town. Gold wants to be a great Trainer and Kotone wants to be an explorer! And this is our new friend Minami, a Pokémon Ranger!" He gestured to each of them as he said their name. Feeling reassured now, Shaymin cheerfully said, "(Nice to meet all of you! Mii is happy to meet all of Hareta-san's friends!)" They greeted Shaymin back at this.

Almost as if on cue, a pair of figures suddenly flew out of the bushes on flying platforms! One was female, wearing a cap that was light-green in the front and dark green in back, a vest that covered her chest and was dark green on the upper half and light green on the lower half over a black T-shirt, what looked like a metal gauntlet on her right arm, a black glove with a green wristband on her left hand, black shorts that had a green belt with a silver buckle, and a pair of black boots. The other was a male, who wore a similar outfit, though the position of the green was reversed, his vest was longer, and his shorts went past his knees, similar to Gold's. Hareta exclaimed, "Whoa! Who are they?" Minami replied, "They're grunts from the Pokémon Pinchers."

The male spoke, "Heh, looks like our fame preceded us! Wouldn't you say?" His partner replied, "Yes, but that's not important now." She pointed at Hareta and said, "You there. Little boy. Give us that Shaymin right now." Hareta hugged Shaymin close to his chest and said, "No way! You're gonna do bad things to Shaymin! I won't let you take my friend away!" The male grunt pointed his gauntlet at Hareta and said, "Sorry kid, but we're not in the mood to deal with stuck-up brats like you! We'll just be taking Shaymin whether you like it or not!" At his actions, Kotone called, "You leave them alone! Togepi, use Extrasensory!" At this, Togepi jumped forward and released a rainbow-colored beam from its eyes, hitting the flying platform and knocking the grunt off of it! Seeing this, the female grunt attempted to get Shaymin instead, only to get hit by a Spark attack from Minun when Hareta called for him! This knocked her off of her flying platform as well, both of them hitting the ground with a thud.

As they sat up, Minami approached them and said, "You two are under arrest. Are you going to come quietly?" The female stood up and said, "Not a chance, Ranger!" Stretching out her right hand and pointing her palm in the direction the two had come from, a strange purple beam came out of her glove and into the forest. After it stopped, she called, "Come, our servants! Come out and destroy these pests!" At this, a Bibarel, Staravia, Lickitung, Solrock, and Lunatone came out and surrounded them! The group instantly noticed that these Pokémon had glowing red eyes, Hareta being reminded of the battle that took place at Neo Team Galactic's HQ. The male grunt chuckled, "You had your chance to hand over Shaymin quietly. Now we'll take it as soon as they're done with you!" The two then climbed back on their flying platforms to get out of the middle of the skirmish.

Checking her Capture Styler, Minami said, "They're too spread out to capture all of them at once and break the hold the Pokémon Pinchers have over them. I might need some help here!" At this, Hareta let out Cyndaquil, Gold called out Bayleef, and Kotone sent out Totodile and Hoothoot to help the rest of their Pokémon. When the Pokémon surrounding them lunged at them, the group split up, Hareta, Cyndaquil, Minun, Misdreavus, Minami, and the ukulele Pichu running one way while being followed by the Lunatone and Solrock, while Gold, Bayleef, Pikachu, the Spiky-Eared Pichu, Kotone, Totodile, Hoothoot, and Togepi ran the other while being chased by the Bibarel, Staravia, and Lickitung.

Keeping Shaymin safe, Hareta called, "Minun, use Thunder Wave! Misdreavus, use Astonish! Cyndaquil, use Smokescreen!" At his calls, the three launched their attacks, Minun's Thunder Wave paralyzing Solrock, Misdreavus giving Lunatone a spook, and Cyndaquil obstructing their view. Checking their position in the cloud, Minami brought up her right wrist, opened the covering on her Capture Styler, and called, "Capture on!" With that, the Capture Disk shot out and headed into the cloud towards Lunatone and Solrock. A bright beam extended from the Capture Styler and she began to move it in a circle, the Capture Disk mimicking her by moving in a circle around the Lunatone and Solrock, a white circle beginning to form around them. Once it was glowing brightly, she moved her arm in a pattern and the circle closed in around them, making the two glow brightly for a second. After the smoke cleared, both Lunatone and Solrock's eyes were back to normal. Having been released from the Pokémon Nappers, they returned to the forest quickly. Hareta said, "Wow, that was awesome, Minami!" She replied, "Thanks, Hareta! Now let's help Gold and Kotone!"

Gold, Kotone, and their Pokémon were doing their best to keep Bibarel, Staravia, and Lickitung distracted without having to make them faint. As Bayleef used Vine Whip to slap away Lickitung and Togepi used a Thunderbolt created by Metronome to shock Staravia, Bibarel leapt towards them with a Rollout attack! Pikachu and the Spiky-Eared Pichu both hit it with a combined Iron Tail, causing Bibarel to stop, at which point the Ukulele Pichu jumped into the fray to help. It began to play its ukulele, notes forming that struck the Pokémon and seemed to be causing a small amount of damage. After the tune was done, Pichu then released a powerful electric shock, shocking them all and leaving them immobilized! Gold, Kotone, and the Pokémon had avoided the shock by getting out of the way once they saw Pichu leap in. At this point, Minami once again went for the capture, getting all three at once! Like the Lunatone and Solrock, their eyes returned to normal and they headed back into the forest.

Both of the Pokémon Pinchers were steaming at this, getting even angrier when Gold shouted up at them, "Looks like you guys lose! What are you gonna do now?" The male grunt growled and went flying towards the group, his partner shouting at him. Kotone stepped up with Hoothoot on her arm and said, "Hoothoot, use Peck attack!" Hoothoot then leapt forward, striking the grunt squarely and once again knocking him off of his flying platform. As it leapt back, Hoothoot suddenly began to glow brightly, the light fading after several seconds to reveal it had evolved into a Noctowl! Seeing that they were outmatched, the female grunt called, "You won this time, but we'll be back! Get up and let's go, ya big lummox!" She began to fly off as her partner recovered and quickly jumped onto his flying platform and followed her.

Minami said, "Well, they got away. But I'm sure they'll stand by their word. And plus, we got to see your Hoothoot evolve, Kotone!" Kotone said, "Yeah! This was a pretty good meet and greet after all!" Turning back to her Noctowl, she gave it a hug and said, "Thank you, Noctowl! You were amazing!" After a minute, Gold asked, "What should we do now, Minami? We've got Shaymin with us and those guys might be back." Minami thought for a moment, then said, "I've heard there's a place near here called the Sendoff Spring. Why don't we go check it out?" Hareta spoke, "Sounds good! I even know where the Spring Path is!" Looking down at Shaymin, Hareta asked, "Wanna ride on my head for a while, Shaymin?" Shaymin chimed happily, always loving to sit on Hareta's head, so the boy removed his cap and put in his backpack while Shaymin perched atop his head. With that, they left Lake Valor and headed for Route 214. As they left, a small Pokémon whose head was mostly blue floated above the water as it watched them leave.

**A little later...**

After locating and following the path, the group found themselves at the foot of a large plateau, which they got to the top of with some help from Hareta's Regigigas. Looking around, Kotone spoke, "Wow. This place sure is mysterious." Minami said, "I've heard this is the fourth lake of Sinnoh, and some say this is where the deceased go to travel to the world beyond. I don't know what to think of it myself." Gold bent over and picked a few flowers that had pink petals. Standing up, he said, "Well either way, it sure seems to be a peaceful place if you can find it. And I've never seen flowers like these before." Coming over to him, Hareta said, "I've seen those before. They're called Gracideas! Shaymin likes these flowers!" Before Gold could ask why, Shaymin suddenly began to glow white and change shape. When it faded, Shaymin looked more like a small dog rather than a hedgehog. It also looked a lot more confident as well.

Gold asked, "What happened to Shaymin?" Hareta explained, "It's because of the Gracideas. The pollen allows Shaymin to from Land Forme to Sky Forme during the day when it's not cold out." Minami said, "Right. The pollen isn't very effective when it's cold or night out, right?" Shaymin said, "(You bet! Mii doesn't like the cold!)"

Suddenly, a voice shouted, "Guess who's back!" Suddenly coming up over the rise were the two Pokémon Pinchers from before! The female spoke, "Didn't expect us back so soon? Tough luck! We'll just be taking our Shaymin now!" Both members then held out their palms, their gloves firing the purple waves again. Hareta ducked down to get Shaymin out of the way, but Shaymin leapt over the waves and began flying away, saying, "(Mii won't get caught by them! Mii is too fast and strong for them!)"

The male grunt yelled, "It's getting away! After it!" With that, they took off flying after Shaymin. Gold growled, "Argh! We can't follow Shaymin like this! Only our Pokémon can!" Minami replied, "There's still one way." Bringing out the beam of her Capture Styler, she began to make a sign that seemed to be in the shape of a face on the ground. When she finished the sign, it suddenly glowed brightly for a moment, and from it appeared a small red and white dragon! Kotone asked, "What'd you do?" Minami replied, "That was a Ranger Sign. By making a certain sign, I can call on a Pokémon's aid. Since they're in the air, I know Latias will be able to help us." She stroked the Psychic and Dragon-type, receiving a coo from her. She then turned to the trio and said, "Call out any Flying-type Pokémon you have. I'll help them in the battle up there." They nodded and sent out their Pokémon, Hareta sending out Golbat and Scyther, Gold calling out Pidgeotto and Beedrill, and Kotone releasing Beautifly and Noctowl. Climbing onto Latias, Minami said, "If there were a way to carry all of you, I'd ask you to come with, but I don't want Latias to struggle to keep up, okay?" They nodded in understanding, Latias then taking off with their Pokémon bringing up the rear.

In the sky above, Shaymin was keeping ahead of the Pokémon Pinchers, who were infuriated at how fast it was. Looking behind them, they saw Minami, Latias, and the other Pokémon chasing them up. To stop them, they began to shoot energy balls towards them to knock them down. Latias and the other Pokémon had no trouble dodging their shots until they began to shoot them in clusters, which were harder to dodge. As they began to close in, Pidgeotto was suddenly nailed with a lucky shot, sending it plummeting back down towards Sendoff Spring!

Seeing Pidgeotto falling straight for the water, Gold dashed out across the nearby bridge and leapt off of it as Pidgeotto came close, managing to just barely catch it! The force of gravity then dragged them both down, both hitting the water as Hareta and Kotone ran to the end of the bridge and looked beneath them worriedly. After a minute, Gold resurfaced, using one arm to swim towards the shore in front of Turnback Cave while the other kept Pidgeotto above the water's surface. Gold laid Pidgeotto on the shore first before climbing out himself, asking, "Pidgeotto, are you alright?" At this, Pidgeotto began to struggle to stand up, refusing to lay down while Shaymin and its friends were in danger. Seeing this, Gold said, "No, Pidgeotto! You've got to save your energy after that fall!" Pidgeotto continued to push itself up, eventually succeeding. As it stood up, it extended its wings and let out a cry, being engulfed by a white light as it did!

Gold watched in amazement as Pidgeotto grew, its talons getting larger and several feathers running down its back, coming from the back of its head. When the glow faded, in Pidgeotto's place stood a large Pidgeot! Looking at Gold, it gestured to its back as it made a caw, Gold realizing that Pidgeot wanted him and the others to ride on it. Gold nodded, climbing on Pidgeot's back. Spreading its wings, Pidgeot lifted off the ground and flew over to the bridge to pick up Hareta and Kotone. Once they were both on, Pidgeot circled the spring once before making a sharp turn upwards, heading for the conflict going on just above them.

As they returned to help Minami, Shaymin suddenly decided to start flying northwest, the Pokémon Nappers in hot pursuit. Noticing the group following behind them, the Pokémon Pinchers once again began to fire shots at them, but they were ready this time. Dodging the green and pink energy balls, they soon got past the Pokémon Pinchers and caught up to Shaymin. Unfortunately, by this time, Shaymin had grown agitated due to the Pokémon Pinchers and wasn't in the mood to listen to anyone, even Hareta. With no other option, Minami readied her Capture Styler. She called, "Capture on!" and released the Capture Disk. Shaymin heard what she said and turned towards the Capture Disk, ready to battle.

Minami attempted several times to get the Capture Disk to circle Shaymin to begin the capture, but Shaymin wouldn't go quietly. It continuously attacked with Air Slash-styled attacks, as well as shooting a circle of leaves out and creating small shockwaves. Hareta, Gold, Kotone, and the Pokémon watched from afar, unable to do anything to help directly. Eventually, Hareta couldn't keep watching and called, "Shaymin! You've got to calm down! You're too strong to get angry because of a bunch of poachers! Overcome it!" Hareta's words caused Shaymin to stop attacking and hover in place as they set in. Taking this chance, Minami sent the Capture Disk out again and managed to complete the capture! When the glow faded, Shaymin didn't move for a moment, then gave out a happy cheer, having come to its senses.

Watching from afar, the Pokémon Pinchers decided that their mission was a failure and it would be too dangerous to try to get their hands on Shaymin now. They quickly escaped before anyone remembered that they were there.

Heading down to the ground from where they were, the group found themselves on the north end of Route 224, near a white rock. Climbing off of Pidgeot, Hareta ran over to Shaymin and gave it a hug, saying, "I'm glad you're safe, Shaymin!" Shaymin replied, "(Mii is too! And Mii is grateful to have such great friends!)" Hareta said, "I'm grateful too!" Gold asked, "Grateful for what?" Hareta answered, "I'm grateful because I know you, Kotone, and Minami! We've gone through so much together and we're great friends because of all of them!" Kotone said, "Yeah, you're right. Heck, that's more than reason enough to be grateful!"

Hareta then turned to Minami and said, "Thank you, Minami, for helping Shaymin! You're a great Pokémon Ranger!" Minami's face turned a little red as she said, "Um... Gee, Hareta, it's no big deal. I was just doing my job." Gold said, "And you've got a cool job, helping Pokémon who need it." Minami took a breath, then said, "I've got to thank all of you as well. Keeping Shaymin safe and helping the other Pokémon wouldn't have been possible without you. I'm glad I ran into you when I did." Gold looked at Hareta and said, "Saying thanks really makes you feel warm, doesn't it?" Hareta nodded, "Yep. But I'll bet I know someone who feels even warmer right now." Nearby, Shaymin was perched atop the white rock. It made a happy smile as it could sense the feelings of gratitude in the air.

Gold, Kotone, and Minami suddenly looked down in surprise as flowers began to grow out of the barren ground, Gold asking, "What's going on?" Hareta explained, "It's Shaymin's power! Shaymin could feel our gratitude and made this miracle happen because we truly meant that we're grateful!" Everyone looked at Shaymin, who nodded and began to lift off the rock. It soon took to the air, waving goodbye to everyone as they did the same, while also hoping they would get to see it again.

After Shaymin disappeared, everyone was silent until Kotone said, "Beautiful... Just like a sky bouquet." Everyone nodded at that, still looking to the north across the sea, where Shaymin had flown. After a few minutes, Minami brought up her Capture Styler and contacted Professor Hastings, reporting that her mission was complete. Turning it off, she looked at everyone and said, "Hey, as long as I'm not assigned to a mission, why don't we go back to Lake Valor? I need to let Crasher Wake know that the mission is finished, and then we can get something to eat at the Seven Stars Restaurant!" Everyone agreed to this, Hareta, Gold, and Kotone returning everyone except Pidgeot to their Poké Balls after thanking them. Gold and Kotone climbed on Pidgeot's back while Hareta joined Minami on Latias' back when she asked him to. Before they set out, Hareta briefly considered putting his hat back on, but decided against it for now. Both Latias and Pidgeot then set out for Lake Valor, a rush of flower petals following behind as they took off.

**A little later, at Professor Rowan's laboratory in Sandgem Town**

Mitsumi and Jun came over to Professor Rowan, who was standing in front of the TV in his lab. Mitsumi asked, "Professor, is there something on?" He replied, "There seems to be an important news flash. I'm interested in seeing what it says." Both Mitsumi and Jun stood next to him so they could hear the TV better.

The Reporter on the screen spoke, "This is Reporter Kinsey, coming to you live from Route 224! This small route near the sight of the Sinnoh League is known by many to be like a miniature version of the Sinnoh region. A surprise discovery has been made here, as our crew has just found out that the northern end of this route, which is usually barren, has become covered with flowers in full bloom!" The camera then panned out to show the area around the white rock surrounded by colorful flowers. Kinsey then continued, "A similar miracle was observed almost a year ago, when part of a forest on Sinnoh's mainland suddenly burst into bloom in a similar way. As no one was present at the time of the flowers blooming, it is still unknown just what created this miracle."

Jun looked up at Professor Rowan and asked, "What do you think caused it, Professor?" Professor Rowan replied, "I'm sure it's Shaymin's work again. That Gratitude Pokémon can certainly get around!" Mitsumi asked, "Do you really think that's what it was?" Professor Rowan nodded, "I said it before, and I'll say it again. Gratitude is just saying 'thank you' from your heart. Someone was on that route earlier, and they were no doubt filled with gratitude!"

* * *

TTOHAS = The Tale of Hareta and Shaymin

Music:

Enter Minami - Team Charm's Theme (PMD: Explorers of Sky)

Vacation Begins - Soleanna Castle Town (Sonic the Hedgehog (2006))

Meeting Shaymin - Shaymin Village (PMD: Explorers of Sky)

Pokémon Pinchers Attack! - Egg Cerberus/Genesis (Sonic the Hedgehog (2006))

Return of the Pinchers - Boss C (Star Fox 64)

Shaymin, the Gratitude Pokémon - Splash Hill Zone Act 1 (Sonic the Hedgehog 4)


	22. Ranger Mission 2: Deoxys in Danger

**Caves of Mt. Coronet**

SLAM! Several Pokémon hit the ground hard, having been beaten back by a strong attack. Behind the fallen Pokémon stood several Pokémon Pinchers. One of them, a male, growled, "Argh... Even after all the Pokémon we've sent after it, it still won't give up!" Another, a female, said, "It might be fighting now, but it won't be able to keep it up forever."

In front of the defeated Pokémon floated their target, the Legendary Pokémon known as Deoxys. It was currently in its Attack Forme, its skinny legs having a spike on the knee and a blue stripe that ran down most of the leg. It also had two pairs of tentacles instead of arms, two triangle shaped ears, and a single spike on its head. It floated just above the squad of Pokémon Pinchers, glaring at them. As they sent in more Pokémon from the area, Deoxys charged up a Psycho Boost and blasted the approaching Pokémon with it! Before any more could come at it, Deoxys turned to a weak section of wall and fired another Psycho Boost, creating a hole. It quickly flew through, soon blasting out the side of the mountain. It knew it was beginning to get tired, so it had to get away before it could be caught.

When Deoxys disappeared down the tunnel, the male turned to the female and said, "Activate the radar! We can't lose it now!" She activated a small handheld device, which homed in on Deoxys energy signature. The squad then quickly climbed on their flying platforms and took off through the hole in the wall, following Deoxys.

**Veilstone City**

After grabbing lunch at the Seven Stars Restaurant, Hareta, Gold, Kotone, and Minami decided to go to Veilstone City. When they arrived, they first went to see the meteorites that were in various craters around the city, Gold and Kotone impressed by their size. Afterwards, they went to the Game Corner to unwind after sending the Pokémon Pinchers fleeing earlier.

Gold immediately headed for the pool table, letting out his Pokémon so they could see how the game was played. Kotone and Minami, meanwhile, both got a Coin Case and went to check out the Voltorb Flip game, since Minami said that she had a keen sense for guessing games. As for Hareta, he went to get a Coin Case and plopped down in front of a slot machine and was soon on a winning streak. While playing, he thought back to the last time he had played the slots, remembering that he had filled three Coin Cases with all the coins he had won. As he thought about this, he tapped the buttons on the slot machine and lined up three 7s again! The coins came out of the front of the machine, landing in the Coin Case as Empoleon, Cyndaquil, and Scyther watched it fill up past the halfway point.

Looking up, he looked around for Grovyle and Lucario, spotting them at the pool table with Gold and his Pokémon, watching him play. After taking a moment to apply cue chalk to the tip of his cue, Gold bent over and focused on the white ball he was aiming at. After a moment, he sent the tip into the ball, sending it into the rack of ten balls and sending them rolling across the table. As everyone watched, the 2 and 5 balls each ended up going into a hole. Since he had hit the 1 ball, it didn't count against him, and Gold grinned at that. He then backed off so he could see what his opponent, a Roughneck, was going to do.

Hareta wasn't the only one watching Gold's game, as Kotone occasionally glanced up from the game of Voltorb Flip to see how he was doing as well. Looking towards Minami and the ukulele Pichu, who were at another table, she saw the Ranger carefully examining the game board in front of her. Turning to her own board, she looked at the rows and columns to see how many numbers and Voltorb each had. She then began to flip the cards over, and, like Minami, soon began to get all the multipliers in no time! She began to move up the rounds, dropping back down a few times, but still continued to pile coins into her Coin Case.

A short while later, Hareta looked at the machine in front of him and thought back to what he had heard from Mitsumi when they had stopped here. She had mentioned something about listening to the voice of the slot machine to win, though she still had a little trouble getting her money back. He thought, "_Last time, I tried to listen to its voice too, but instead I heard Deoxys calling for help. Deoxys... I wonder how its journey is going?_" Snapping out of his thoughts, Hareta decided that he had played enough for now and hopped off his stool. He picked up his Coin Case, which was close to overflowing, closed it, and decided to go watch Gold play, Empoleon, Cyndaquil, and Scyther following him.

Just as Gold was about to shoot for the 9 ball and Kotone and Minami were about to win their rounds of Voltorb Flip, something hit the ground behind the Game Corner and caused it to shake, everyone being thrown off by it. Once the group and their Pokémon had collected themselves, they ran out of the building to see what had happened. They had just set foot outside the door when they saw Deoxys being chased by the Pokémon Pinchers! Deoxys had changed to Speed Forme, but the flying platforms were somehow able to keep up with it. After passing the front of the Game Corner, they flew to the west, towards Oreburgh City.

Gold exclaimed, "What was that thing?" Hareta said, "That was Deoxys! And it's in pain!" Minami sighed, "I should've guessed there would be more Pokémon Pinchers scattered around the region, looking for rare Pokémon. Anyway, we'd better go help Deoxys before they catch it!" She brought out her Capture Styler and once again made the pattern that summoned Latias while Gold called out his Pidgeot. After recalling most of their Pokémon, Minami, the ukulele Pichu, Hareta, and Cyndaquil climbed on Latias while Gold, Pikachu, the Spiky-Eared Pichu, Kotone, and Noctowl (riding on Kotone's shoulder) climbed on the back of Pidgeot. The Pokémon then took off, following after the Pokémon Pinchers and Deoxys.

**A little later, in Oreburgh City**

The Pokémon Pinchers continued to chase Deoxys through and over the city, creating a large amount of havoc in the process. Eventually, they managed to corner Deoxys at the entrance to the Oreburgh Mine, Deoxys managing to change to Defense Forme before they began to bombard it with their purple beams. As Deoxys struggled to push itself up with its flat tentacles, the Pokémon Pinchers readied their beams to capture it and take it back to their hideout.

Suddenly, the whole squad was smashed aside by a very large Pokémon! Looking up, they saw a Rampardos glaring down at them. Looking behind it, they saw its Trainer, the Oreburgh City Gym Leader, Roark. Pushing his glasses back, Roark asked, "What's all the commotion about? What do you think you're doing, ganging up on one Pokémon like this?" The apparent leader of the squad shouted, "None of your business! We're taking that Deoxys with us, no matter what we have to do!" Roark replied, "I'm afraid you'll have to reconsider that. This coal mine is a very special place to me and I will not have it ruined by any more criminals. I suggest you quietly leave here now."

The leader yelled, "No one threatens the Pokémon Pinchers! You will pay for your insolence!" To their surprise, Roark just smiled, "Is that so? I guess it can't be helped, then. So I have only one thing to say to you." One of the members of the squad asked, "And what's that?" Roark answered, "Zen Headbutt!" At that command, Rampardos suddenly charged into them again, sending them flying into a large pile of coal!

After they had recovered somewhat, Roark asked, "Have you rethought your decision yet?" The leader of the group smirked, "Not a chance, dust man! Pinchers, hit it!" At that, all of the squad members held out their gauntlets and fired their purple beams in different directions. After waiting a few moments, a small group of various Pokémon suddenly appeared at the mine, all of them having glowing red eyes! Roark was a bit shocked at what they had done. "_They must have them under some kind of control, like the Pokémon that Charon had,_" he thought to himself. The Pokémon Pinchers expected Roark to admit he was beaten, but Roark merely sent out two more Pokémon, which were his Golem and Aerodactyl.

He then said, "If you think you can intimidate me into defeat, you're sorely mistaken. I've been making sure that my Pokémon stay strong for this very reason. And you certainly picked a bad day to come here, as a few friends of mine were visiting when you showed up." At this, several figures stepped out from the shadows, revealing themselves to be Mitsumi, her Infernape, Jun, and his Dragonite. One of the Pinchers asked, "Do you really think they'll be able to help you win?" Jun spoke, "Don't underestimate Roark or us. Mitsumi may not like to fight anymore, but when she does, her Pokémon are incredibly strong. And I've been training for a long time with my Pokémon to be able to battle Hareta and Koya, who caused Team Galactic and Neo Team Galactic to disband!" Mitsumi added, "My Pokémon were forced to go through really dark times before I reformed. I will battle again to keep creeps like you from forcing any other Pokémon to go through anything like mine did! Get ready!"

After climbing out of the coal pile, the Pokémon Pinchers sent their controlled Pokémon after the trio. Mitsumi said, "Don't hit them too hard! Just enough to force these Pinchers to give up!" Roark and Jun nodded, then they sent their Pokémon forward, Roark sending his Aerodactyl to replace Rampardos. Mitsumi called for Infernape to use Fury Swipes, which ended up knocking down a Growlithe and a Cubone. Jun had his Dragonite lead off with a Thunder Wave, which paralyzed a Pineco, Staravia, and Golduck. He then followed up with a Slam attack, sending them all sprawling across the ground. Roark's Aerodactyl used a Wing Attack to knock down a Ralts and Stone Edge to take down two Gyarados. That seemed to be all of the Pokémon that the Pinchers had, so they figured it was time for them to give in.

Instead, they held out their gauntlets and forced the Pokémon to get back up, all of them struggling to do so. This shocked Mitsumi, Jun, and Roark, Jun shouting, "What are you doing? Can't you see they're hurt already?" The leader of the squad said, "Who cares! They're just Pokémon! Until Deoxys is ours, they will battle for us, no matter what!" Jun and Mitsumi looked really angry at that statement while Roark tried to keep his calm composure. They knew they had to stop them, but they were afraid of hurting the Pokémon any more than they already had. The Pokémon Pinchers once again sent their Pokémon charging towards the group.

Before the Pokémon could reach the group, a Mist Ball suddenly hit the ground in front of them, creating a wall of white mist! Mitsumi, Jun, and Roark looked baffled on where it came from until they looked to the sky and noticed a Pidgeot and a Latias coming towards them. Once they were close enough, they were shocked to see Hareta riding on the back of the Latias! The two Pokémon landed near them, Hareta, Minami, Kotone, Gold, and their Pokémon climbing off. Mitsumi ran over to Hareta and said, "Hareta, what are you doing here? I thought you were in Johto!" Hareta replied, "Mitsumi! I was, but my friends and I decided to come out here for a little while!" Jun called, "Hey, um, I hate to break up the conversation, but we've still got a situation here?"

Minami stepped forward, "No problem. Just leave it to me. I've dealt with the Pokémon Pinchers plenty of times in the past." While Jun's face got red and he said out loud that Minami was pretty, Roark said, "You must be the Pokémon Ranger that Crasher Wake told me was on a mission the other day. Pleased to meet you." Minami replied, "Same here, Gym Leader Roark." She then turned to Hareta and asked, "Do you think you and Minun could give me a hand?" Grabbing Minun's Poké Ball, Hareta replied, "I think we'd be happy to help!" He then let out Minun, who chirped happily at being called out to help. Kotone stepped up, "Do you think Noctowl and I could help you out too?" Minami smiled, "Of course you both can!" Kotone's Noctowl then hopped off of her shoulder and fluttered down next to Minun.

As the mist cleared up, the Pokémon spotted their targets after being disoriented and began to charge again. Hareta called, "Minun, use Sing!" while Kotone said, "Noctowl, use your Hypnosis to put the rest to sleep!" Minun began to sing a melody to the Pokémon, which caused most of them to fall asleep. The Gyarados and the Golduck didn't fall asleep from it though, but the Hypnosis from Noctowl was enough to change that. They all collapsed in one big pile, snoring.

Before Minami could bring out her Capture Styler, the Pokémon Pinchers started using their gauntlets to try to force the Pokémon to wake up. They did wake up, but they were not happy at the rude awakening. Knowing who had so rudely roused them, they began to chase the Pokémon Pinchers around in anger while everyone sweat dropped as they looked on.

After a minute, Hareta ran over to Deoxys, who had managed to climb back to its feet and hugged it, saying, "Deoxys, it's so great to see you again! Are you okay?" The DNA Pokémon shifted to Normal Forme, its tentacles taking on the shape of hands that it used to hug Hareta back. It spoke, "(I feel fine now that I have had time to recover Hareta. And I am glad to see you again as well. It has been so long since our second encounter in Veilstone City.)"

While Jun and Mitsumi looked on at Hareta, wondering how he could forget what was going on at the moment, Roark, Gold, Kotone, and Minami turned back to the Pokémon Pinchers. One of them yelled, "Please, Ms. Ranger! Save us!" Minami thought a moment, then turned to her partner and asked, "I guess we should help them. What do you think, Pichu?" Pichu chimed happily before hopping to the edge of the field and whipping around its ukulele. It then began to play a familiar tune, notes floating away from it and hitting the rampaging Pokémon, before jumping into the middle of the skirmish and unleashing a powerful Electric attack that left the Pokémon and the Pinchers collapsed on the ground, paralyzed. While they were on the ground, Minami brought out her Capture Styler and used it to release the Pokémon from the Pinchers, though they were still knocked out on the ground.

Minami called for everyone's attention before saying, "Listen up! These Pokémon are all injured and paralyzed, so we need to get them over to the Pokémon Center! I'll also need someone to stand watch and make sure the Pokémon Pinchers don't try to sneak away!" Roark spoke, "I can take care of that. My Pokémon won't let anyone who attacks this mine get away. So all of you can focus on getting the Pokémon to the Pokémon Center." Minami thanked him and called for everyone else to help. Everyone began to gather up as many Pokémon as they could carry, Deoxys helping as well after using its Psychic powers to first heal the Gyarados and then send them back to the lake on Route 203, having seen where they lived during its travels.

**Later...**

After getting the Pokémon to the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy soon reported that they would be fine. Relieved at hearing this, everyone headed back to the mine, seeing Roark's Rampardos, Golem, Aerodactyl, Probopass, and Tyranitar keeping a careful watch on the Pokémon Pinchers while Minami contacted the local police station and then the Ranger Union. Professor Hastings congratulated her on taking care of the Pokémon Pinchers twice in one day and said that until something else came up, she would be on standby on Sinnoh. After taking a quick glance over at Hareta, Minami replied, "Okay, Professor Hastings. That suits me just fine." Mitsumi saw what she did and looked over at Hareta, who was standing near Deoxys and Gold, wondering...

Shortly afterwards, Officer Jenny arrived on her motorcycle, making an impressive leap from the stairs that led down to the entrance. A paddy wagon also came in for the Pokémon Pinchers. As the officers driving it put the Nappers in the back, Officer Jenny said, "Normally, my style is to take care of things personally, but you Rangers are something else! I'm glad that there are Rangers like you around!" After the two ladies saluted each other, she also thanked everyone else for their help, even saluting Deoxys. She promised to keep the Ranger Union informed before leaving with the paddy wagon back to the station.

After they left, Hareta looked up at Deoxys and said, "It was great seeing you again, Deoxys. But you probably still want to go see the world some more, right?" Deoxys nodded, "(Yes, there's still so much that I haven't seen or learned about yet. But I'll try to be on the lookout for you in my travels.)" It then hovered up higher while everyone watched before flying off into the distance, heading for a group of nine islands to the west.

After Deoxys had disappeared from sight, Mitsumi immediately turned to Hareta and asked, "So do you mind telling me what you meant when you said that you're here for a little while? How close are you to competing in the Johto League? Isn't that why you went there in the first place?" Hareta replied, "Part of the reason. Gold and I both have five badges so far. We can't battle with Jasmine, the Gym Leader of Olivine City, until her friend Amphy heals." Roark asked, "Jasmine? You mean, 'The Steel-Clad Defense Girl?'" Gold, who was crouched down and looking at something on the ground, said, "Yeah, that's her. You know her?" Roark replied, "Somewhat. My father told me once that she used to train Rock-type Pokémon until she discovered the Steel-type and began to specialize in it like he does."

Kotone asked, "Gold, what are you doing?" Gold stood up and turned around, showing a pair of gray goggles with blue lenses in his hand. He said, "I noticed these laying on the ground. I think one of those goons might've dropped them. I kind of like them." He then turned to Minami and asked, "You don't mind if I keep these, right?" Minami thought a moment and said, "Well, I don't think a pair of ordinary goggles will hold up as evidence in a trial, though I doubt they're going to get a trial. So I guess it would be alright if you kept them." Gold grinned, "Thanks, Minami!" After adjusting them a bit, he reached up and placed them around his backwards cap, noting that they fit perfectly.

As the group continued with their conversation, a boy that was a little taller than Hareta stood partially behind the fence near the entrance to the mine. He wore an all black outfit that had red around the end of the long sleeves of his shirt and the bottom of the pant legs, as well on the pockets, near the bottom of the shirt, and the collar. The boy had slightly long blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and carried a briefcase in his right hand. Next to him stood one of his Pokémon, an Absol. Scanning over the group in the cut ground, his eyes focused on Minami for a moment as he thought, "_A Pokémon Ranger... Never expected to see one around here._" He then focused his eyes on Hareta and thought, "_And he's here too._"

After a minute more, the boy turned around and headed in the direction of the Oreburgh Gate with his Absol following closely beside him.

* * *

Music:

Still Fighting - Team Galactic Battle (Super Smash Brothers Brawl)

A Bit of Time to Unwind - Game Corner (Pokémon HGSS)

Battle at the Mine - Boss Capture (Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs)

All In A Day's Work - Map/Menu (Zelda: Wand of Gamelon)


	23. New Friends to Gible With

I'm not too sure how I feel about this chapter. I mean, some parts feel right while others don't to me.

* * *

Following the battle at the Oreburgh Mine, everyone stopped at the Pokémon Center to heal up their Pokémon. While they were there, the Ralts and Cubone that had been controlled by the Pokémon Nappers took a liking to Kotone, so she added them to her team after asking them if they wanted to travel with her. Afterwards, they said goodbye to Roark and headed for Jubilife City, Jun trying to flirt with Mitsumi as well as Kotone and Minami the whole way there.

Upon their arrival, Hareta immediately broke away from the group and headed for the area near the square, where he found the same Reporter and Cameraman he had seen when he was first starting out. Once again, he was challenged to a battle, but this time he and Empoleon gave them a real good battle for the TV viewers. Gold, meanwhile, went to check out the Global Terminal while Kotone checked out the TV station. Minami walked a patrol around the city, looking for any suspicious activity, while Mitsumi tried to locate Hareta after he was done with his battle, having to put up with Jun the whole time. They later met up at the Pokémon Center for the night, deciding to get up early to go to Floaroma Town tomorrow.

**The next morning...**

After a quick breakfast at the Pokémon Center, everyone headed out for Floaroma Town, which didn't take long as Hareta, Minun, Gold, Pikachu, the Spiky-Eared Pichu, and Kotone were so eager to get there that they ran the whole way. Minami didn't have any trouble keeping up with them, due to her training as a Ranger, and neither did her Pichu partner, but both Jun and Mitsumi did. As she ran, Mitsumi thought, "_I never thought I'd see anyone else that's as energetic as Hareta is..._"

Soon, they made it through the Ravaged Path and walked underneath the arch that signaled the entrance to Floaroma Town, Minami and the ukulele Pichu right behind the trio while Jun and Mitsumi showed up a little afterwards. While Jun seemed alright since it didn't take long for him to catch his breath, Mitsumi was tired a bit from having to run so much, though she wasn't exhausted as bad as she used to be after trying to keep with Hareta in the past and was soon back on her feet and breathing steadily.

As she came over by the others, Mitsumi said, "Whew, it's been a while since I've gone through that. Guess I might need to get that gym membership after all." Jun smiled, "Hey, it's nothing to worry yourself over, Mitsumi. And it's good to get in a little workout after having a meal. Speaking of which, anybody want a sweet potato?" He pulled a re-sealable bag out of his sling bag that had a few sweet potatoes inside. Hareta asked, "Where'd you get those?" Jun replied, "They had them at a supermarket one day, so I picked a few up. Here, catch." He then tossed one to everyone, saving one for himself.

Kotone looked at the sweet potato and asked, "Jun, you do know you're supposed to cook a sweet potato before you eat it, right?" Jun said, "Oh yeah! I knew I was forgetting something! But Infernape's flames might overcook it..." Hareta replied, "Gotcha covered! Come out, Cyndaquil!" He then sent out his Fire Mouse Pokémon, who let out a cry upon her appearance. Mitsumi asked, "Hareta, you caught a Cyndaquil? That's amazing! I've heard they're quite timid, but this one looks confident. Is it strong?" Hareta replied as he knelt next to Cyndaquil, "Yeah, but we're getting stronger in a way that she's okay with. Not like her last Trainer." Mitsumi asked, "What do you mean by 'her last Trainer?'" Gold said, "We'll talk about that later." He then looked down at Cyndaquil and asked, "Do you think you could cook a few sweet potatoes for us?" Cyndaquil nodded, so Hareta told everyone to throw their potatoes up into the air. Once they were airborne, he called for an Ember attack, the small fireballs steadily cooking the potatoes until they were at a properly cooked temperature, at which point they fell back down and were caught.

Cyndaquil rode on Hareta's shoulder left shoulder while Minun rode on his right as they walked around, stopping at the edge of the massive bed of flowers past all the shops and homes. As she took a bite from her potato, Kotone commented, "Mmm, Cyndaquil sure is a great cook! This is just perfect; not too dark, not too light!" Jun said, "And that was done on a low setting too. Even if you'd been near Cyndaquil at the time, there'd be no risk of your hair getting messed up!" Kotone replied, "That's implying I'm overly concerned about my hair. I'm concerned about my looks, but I'm not that shallow." Mitsumi asked, "No? What do you mean?" Gold spoke up, "Well, she doesn't mind getting dirty when she has to. I mean, when we were little, just about every time I headed home after we were done playing, I could hear her mom telling her to go jump in the bathtub, since we often played games around dirt and mud."

Jun asked, "You like to do that stuff?" Kotone replied, "Not all the time anymore. But if I have to get dirty, I'm not going to complain. I'm not one to primp and preen, after all." Gold said, "You mean like what happened about a week before we both left New Bark Town?" Kotone nodded; seeing that, Minami asked, "What happened?" Kotone answered, "I had a little accident when I was out shopping with my mom. An Earthquake attack from a battle outside shook the store, and we were in the hair products section at the time. Two bottles of hair dye fell over and opened, spilling out all over my hair. My hair was greenish blue for a while after that." Mitsumi groaned, "Sheesh, that's rough. Did you have to pay for the dye and how badly did you wish to hide yourself?" Kotone spoke, "We did have to pay for the dyes, but otherwise, it was fine. I didn't complain about what the dyes did to my hair any more than I did over all the baths and showers I had to take to rinse it all out. Luckily, they weren't very expensive, or my hair would probably still be fading back to normal now."

Suddenly, they heard the sound of church bells ringing to the west and looked over to see a church with a path surrounded on the sides by flowers. Jun exclaimed, "Oh look! Some lucky guy and girl are getting hitched! Just like Mitsumi and I will be one day!" While Mitsumi had a disturbed look on her face after hearing that, Kotone said, "Let's go see! Maybe one of us will get lucky!" Hareta was confused on what she meant by that, so he followed everyone to find out what she had been referring to.

Joining the crowd around the church doors, Hareta tugged on Kotone's arm and asked, "What did you mean when you said someone might get lucky?" Kotone explained, "As the bride and groom come out of the church, the bride throws a bouquet of flowers out into the crowd. They say whoever catches it will end up getting married someday!" Everyone then turned their attention back to the crowd, peeking to see the newlyweds and betting who among the bridesmaids would end up catching the flowers. They then watched as the bride threw the bouquet into the air.

All of a sudden, a northern wind blew, catching the flowers in an updraft. Hareta turned his attention away from the flowers as he heard something behind them, whirling around to see what it was. He gasped, "Suicune?" No one else heard him, too focused on the bouquet that was beginning to fall back to Earth. Suicune caught sight of Hareta for a second before suddenly dashing to the edge of the flower field and leaping over it into the Floaroma Meadow, the north wind blowing one last time as it did. Hareta ran to the edge of the field, him, Minun, and Cyndaquil amazed at seeing Suicune again, especially in Sinnoh.

Minami called out, "Hareta, heads up!" Hareta turned around and glanced up, noticing the bouquet falling towards him. As he held up his hands to catch it, Jun ran in his direction, saying, "Oh man, it's so close! I gotta catch this!" He kept his eyes on the bouquet as it fell, not looking where he was going. As it fell within both of their reaches, Jun suddenly ran into Hareta, knocking them both over onto the ground. Hareta sat up, groaning, "Ouch... Sorry about that, Jun." Jun replied as he pushed himself up on his arms, "My bad... I wasn't looking where I was going." Cyndaquil and Minun were both relieved that they were okay. They then looked to see if either of them had caught the bouquet.

Everyone else ran over, Kotone speaking up first, "Well, it's hard to say at this point who had it first, but right now, it looks like you both caught it." Hareta glanced at his right hand while Jun looked at his left, both realizing they were indeed holding onto it and remembering that they had each gotten a hand on it before they hit the ground. Hareta asked, "So what does that mean? Nobody wins?" Mitsumi shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe it mean you both will get married." Cyndaquil blushed a bit at hearing this, looking at Hareta.

As the two boys stood up, Hareta let go of the bouquet and asked, "Catching a bouquet really means you'll get... Whatever?" Jun brought a hand to his chin and said, "Well, they do say that there's someone out there for everyone. I suppose, technically, that means even you." Minami angrily asked, "Jun, was that last part really necessary? At the very least, you didn't have to act so nonchalant about it." Jun held up his hands, "Whoa, I didn't mean anything bad by it! I was just joking!" Minami replied, "I thought you said love is nothing to joke about."

Gold sighed as he pressed his arms against the back of his head, not really interested in the continuing conversation between the two. He glanced around Floaroma Town, his eyes wandering over the Pick a Peck of Colors Flower Shop, the Pokémon Center, and the Pokémon Mart. Deciding he needed to get away from the conversation, he headed for the flower shop with Pikachu and Pichu, soon followed by Hareta, Minun, Cyndaquil, Kotone, and Mitsumi, who weren't interested in the debate either.

Walking under the awning, they passed through the front door as the bell above it rang. Looking around, they saw all sorts of flowers growing in pots that were around the store on shelves. A woman watering some of the flowers with a Sprayduck looked towards them and said, "Welcome to the Pick a Peck of Colors Flower Shop. Can I help any of you?" Gold answered, "Um, we're kind of just looking around right now, but we'll let you know." The four of them then began to look around, seeing the flowers and getting a few free berries while they looked.

Suddenly, the sound of an explosion in the distance caught their attention! Hareta exclaimed, "What was that noise?" A woman who was behind the cash register said, "Oh, that? It's just a Pokémon that lives on Route 205 that's trying to perfect a move." Gold asked, "What Pokémon is it?" She replied, "I believe it's called a Gible. The move it's trying to perfect is Draco Meteor. I've seen what happens sometimes; it can create the attack, but instead of exploding in the air and raining down on opponents, it falls and explodes when it hits the ground."

After a moment of thought, Gold asked, "Can I buy a watering can for my Berry Pots? I want to be able to water them while I'm traveling." The woman replied that he could, so he selected a SquirtBottle that bore a resemblance to the Pokémon Squirtle and paid for it. He then thanked the woman for helping him before leaving the shop, Pikachu, Pichu, Hareta, Minun, Cyndaquil, Kotone, and Mitsumi following him as he ran.

While running, Kotone asked, "What's going on, Gold? Something on your mind?" Gold replied, "Yeah! I want to see that Gible! It sounds like a cool Pokémon!" Arriving on Route 205, they began to look around the stream and the Valley Windworks, eventually finding the Gible on the other side of the stream, looking back at them blankly. Seeing it, Gold walked up to it and said, "Hey, Gible! I hear you're trying to perfect the move Draco Meteor! What do you say to a battle with me? It might be what you need to get it down right!" The Gible looked up at him for a second before jumping and biting him on the head, causing Gold to yell in pain while the others looked on. It soon let go and used Dig, burrowing into the ground and digging through the dirt away from them, its fin visible as it went.

Hareta commented, "Well, that was a bit unexpected." Mitsumi nodded, "I believe you could say that." They turned their attention to back to the bridge as they heard what sounded like a bike crossing it. They saw that it was Jun, who stopped near them, while Minami and her Pichu were following behind them. Once she got over, Minami asked, "We saw an explosion while we were talking and then we saw you guys heading in the direction of it. What happened?" Kotone explained, "We heard from a lady in the flower shop that there's a Gible that lives here, practicing the move Draco Meteor. It doesn't know how to do it correctly yet, though, so I guess that means those explosions are pretty common." As he got off his bike, Jun grinned, "A Gible, you say? That's a hard to find Pokémon! I'm gonna catch it!"

At this, Gold shouted, "Whoa, ease off the pedal, Jeff Gordon! I've already seen that Gible, and I'm going to be the one to catch it!" Jun replied, "Hey man, I feel for you. I really do. But Dragon Pokémon are tricky to train and just as hard to catch. I learned that from my training on Iron Island. You think you're going to be ready for that?" Gold answered, "Probably not. But it'd be fun all the same!" Jun said, "Alright, I can level with that. So then why don't we see who can catch that Gible first?" Gold agreed, then Jun turned to get on his bike, only to see the rubber from the wheels laying on the ground! Dumbfounded, he looked a little farther to see the Gible with its hands on its belly. Everyone's suspicions were confirmed when it gave a light belch.

Everyone was surprised at the Gible's sudden appearance and that it had eaten the whole bike save for the rubber wheels. Hareta said, "Guess your bike was too tasty for Gible to pass up, Jun. Sorry." Jun replied, "Eh, it's alright. That was an old bike that a little kid I passed on the way here was done with, anyway. He said I could use it if I wanted to. It's probably better now that it's food for Gible." Hareta nodded, then asked, "So who gets to battle Gible now? I mean, it kind of found us." Jun brought a hand to his chin, "Good question..."

Suddenly, a black ball hit the ground behind the group and exploded into a cloud of gray smoke! Everyone, including the Gible, began to cough as the smoke surrounded them. Mitsumi groaned, "What's going on? Who's doing this?" At that, the sound of three people laughing rang out, Hareta, Gold, Kotone, and their Pokémon recognizing them. As the smoke was beginning to clear, the laughter was replaced by speaking.

"Listen up, it comes courtesy of you-know-who!"

"Not like we have anything better to do!"

"On the wind!"

"Past the stars!"

"Boo-ga-boo!"

"Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace!"

"Dashing hope, putting fear in its place!"

"(with echo) A dual of Jessie's sounds twice as sweet!"

"(with echo) Hey I've got it too, isn't that neat!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Meowth, now dat's a name!"

"Putting the do-gooders in their place..."

"We're Team Rocket..."

"IN YOUR FACE!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime, Mime!"

Mitsumi, Jun, Minami, and her Pichu anime sweat-dropped after they were finished while Kotone, Gold, Hareta, and their Pokémon all looked bored. After a moment, Mitsumi asked, "So what are you supposed to be?" Hareta guessed, "Old school?" The trio fell over anime-style at that; picking themselves up, Jessie yelled, "What was that, you little twerps?" James said, "Calm down, Jessie. It seems their new friends haven't been introduced yet to the new Team Rocket!" Gold asked, "New? In what way?" Meowth answered, "I'll tell you what way, kid! We're gonna take that Gible and make it incredibly powerful! With it at our side, there'll be nothing we can't do!"

While Mitsumi and Jun were speechless at seeing a Meowth speak human, Hareta said, "No way! You can improve yourselves all you want, it won't change anything!" Jessie smirked, "You can keep telling yourself that when we're ruling with a super powered Garchomp, kid! Go, Yanmega!" While Jessie called out the Ogre Darner Pokémon, James called out his Carnivine, who jumped on him and bit him on the head while he groaned, "Not now! We're supposed to be improved!" Kotone said, "You heard what Hareta said. You three aren't going to get away with anything! Go, Ralts!" As she was calling out her Ralts, Gold sent out his Tyrogue to battle alongside her.

Jessie called, "Yanmega, use Silver Wind!" while James said, "Carnivine, go Bite on their heads!" Yanmega flapped its wings as they flashed white, releasing a wind with silver crescents while Carnivine went along the side of it to attack. Kotone answered the Silver Wind with a Psychic attack from Ralts, its eyes glowing blue as it fired two light blue beams of energy that canceled out the Silver Wind, while Gold had Tyrogue use Counter, which sent Carnivine flying. Regrouping, Jessie ordered Yanmega to use AncientPower while James called for a Bullet Seed, Yanmega creating a silver energy ball in front of its white glowing body and launching it while Carnivine shot out glowing yellow seeds from its maw. Gold and Kotone countered by having Tyrogue use Helping Hand and Ralts use Magical Leaf, the added power from the Helping Hand allowing the attack to knock down both AncientPower and Bullet Seed.

Mitsumi looked over at Hareta and asked, "What's up with them? They're just badly improvising; unlike you, it doesn't seem like they've got anything in particular in mind." Hareta shrugged, "Beats me. They used to be part of Team Rocket until it went underground years ago. It's been more chance than anything that we've been running into them." Jun gave him a questioning look, "So you know them? Do they give up at some point or something?" Hareta replied, "Only if it's in their best interests. Most of the times we've seen them, we just hit them with something strong and watch them fly away." Mitsumi said, "In that case, let me try something."

As Mitsumi stepped up by Gold and Kotone, the Gible, who had just been watching the battle blankly the whole time, suddenly burrowed into the ground and began to move around. Team Rocket took notice and attempted to go get it when Mitsumi released her Infernape, knocking the trio back and causing Jessie's Wobbuffet to pop out with a cry. Jessie looked at Mitsumi and demanded, "What do you think you're doing!" Mitsumi replied, "I'm not doing anything right now. I just want to talk." James said, "Talk? We don't talk with girls who are too big for their britches!" Mitsumi glared for a second before becoming calm and saying, "You know, when I was little, I had no family. I was found by the leader of a group called Team Galactic and raised to be their ultimate fighting machine. And I was their servant unquestioningly until I came to see what it means to see Pokémon as something more than just tools."

She paused to smile at Infernape, remembering when she met it as a Chimchar. She then continued, "Even though I left them behind, my past came back to haunt me recently. But my friends helped me break away from the memories and leave my past as Team Galactic's Ultimate Fighting Machine behind. Thanks to my friends, I can say that I'm truly reformed now. Hareta told me that your organization has fallen apart; why are you still trying to steal Pokémon and rule the world if there's nothing left of it? You can reform too, you know. Just let your old organization go; we'll help you if you need it."

There was silence for a moment as Mitsumi's words sank in. Then, all of a sudden, the former members of Team Rocket burst out laughing! After they stopped, Jessie said, "Oh please! Were we supposed to see the error of our ways by listening to that sap story!" James added, "Team Rocket may be long gone, but as long as there are thieves like us, it will remain alive, unlike your useless Team Galactic!" Meowth said, "Now get outta our way and hand over that Gible!" Mitsumi sighed, "I see. I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this, but you leave me no choice now." She looked at Infernape and said, "Use Focus Blast."

At her command, Infernape began to create a ball of light blue energy between its hands. As Infernape prepared to launch the attack, Gible suddenly popped out of the ground in between it and the trio! Mitsumi gasped, "Infernape, hold it!" As he started dashing forward, Gold exclaimed, "Too late!" He dashed past Infernape just as it fired the Focus Blast, running for Gible. Jessie shoved Wobbuffet forward and said, "Wobbuffet, Mirror Coat!" As the Focus Blast made contact with the Mirror Coat, Gold grabbed Gible in his arms.

Suddenly, the Focus Blast was reflected back, hitting the ground due to the angle it hit Wobbuffet at! The resulting explosion knocked everyone back, but it sent Gold, Gible, Pikachu, and Pichu flying, all of them landing in the stream! As they ran for the stream, everyone cried, "Gold!" By the time they reached the stream, however, the current had already swept the four of them away, pushing them towards the northern end of the route. Jessie growled, "Drat! We lost that Gible!" Meowth said, "Don't worry, Jess. All we gotta do is follow the stream and find it!" With that, they dashed into the distance and suddenly, a Meowth head hot air balloon suddenly appeared, lifting off the ground and flying away.

Minami said, "They must be going after Gible." She turned to everyone and said, "Forget them for now. Right now, we've got to find Gold and the Pokémon before they do! We'll split into two groups, one to follow the river and the other to search above it." Hareta spoke, "Empoleon and I can search the river! He's an amazing swimmer!" Minami said, "Good. I'll go with Hareta then. Can the rest of you search from the air?" Jun nodded, "My Dragonite can carry the rest of us! If they're already down the stream a bit, we'll find them!" Minami nodded, "Okay. If you find them first, signal us with a Hyper Beam. If we find them first, Minun and Pichu will signal you." Everyone nodded at this and Hareta released Empoleon, who quickly jumped in the water and allowed Hareta, Cyndaquil, Minun, Minami, and Pichu on his back before swimming into the current while Mitsumi recalled her Infernape and Jun called out his Dragonite. After it appeared he, Kotone, Ralts, Tyrogue, and Mitsumi climbed on its back. All the while, Mitsumi prayed that Gold and the Pokémon would turn up okay...

**Meanwhile, past the Valley Windworks**

Gold paddled to keep his head above the water and looked around for Pikachu, Pichu, and Gible. He soon saw Pichu struggling to keep her head above the water, so he got close enough to grab her and put her on his shoulder. Putting his goggles over his eyes, he looked around for Pikachu and Gible, worrying when he didn't see them. A splash up ahead caught his attention and looked to see Pikachu trying to help Gible stay afloat. Fumbling a bit due to the water, Gold retrieved Buizel's Poké Ball and sent it out. Once it appeared, Gold told it to go help Pikachu and Gible, Buizel spinning its two tails around to get over to them and stopping once it was close enough. Both Pikachu and Gible grabbed a hold of it, its flotation sac allowing it to hold onto both of them and still stay above the water. They continued to ride the current, keeping an eye out for anything they could grab onto.

Soon, a tunnel in the rock came into view. Seeing it, Gold swam over to Buizel and put an arm around it while all the Pokémon grabbed onto him tightly to make sure they didn't lose each other in the dark. They managed to get through the tunnel without getting separated, but then they realized that there was a small waterfall up ahead! They tried to swim away, but the current, which had calmed a bit in the cave, became too fast for them and it looked like they would go over for sure!

Before they did, they heard the sound of something splashing and jumping out of the water. Gold couldn't see what due to the water on his goggles and neither could the Pokémon, all of them still gripping onto Gold's back tightly. As they went over the edge, a hand suddenly grabbed Gold's, holding him in midair. Opening his eyes, Gold wiped away the water on his goggles to see Hareta holding him, along with Minami, Empoleon, Cyndaquil, Minun, and Minami's Pichu! "Hang on tight, you guys! We'll pull you up!" Hareta said. Gold reached up with his other hand, Hareta grabbing it as well. All of them then started pulling to bring him, Pikachu, Pichu, Buizel, and Gible up. Once they were back on dry land, they all collapsed and sat for a minute, breathing.

Once he had breathed enough, Gold said, "Thanks, you guys. If you hadn't shown up when you did... Well, it probably wouldn't have been pretty..." Hareta managed a grin, "Hey, what are friends for?" Once they were able to stand up, Hareta said, "Wow, I don't remember this stream being so fast." Minami said, "I heard there was a storm a couple days ago. It might've messed with the current and it hasn't gotten back to normal yet." Gold crouched down next to his Pokémon and said, "You're all still okay, right?" All his Pokémon said yes, so he turned to Gible and asked, "How about you? I know you're part Ground-type, so that must've been frightening." Gible gave a nod, Gold picking it up and saying, "Well believe me, I'm glad you're not hurt." At this, it suddenly jumped out of his hands and bit him on the head, thought it didn't hurt due to Gible not biting him hard. Minami suddenly remembered that they hadn't alerted Jun and the others yet, so she and Hareta turned to the ukulele Pichu and Minun and asked for them to send an Electric signal, the two of them charging up their electricity at this.

**A bit to the south, above the stream**

Tyrogue and Ralts gave out a shout, the Trainers looking up to see electricity shooting up into the air. "That's the signal! They've found them!" Mitsumi said, relieved. Kotone placed her hands over her chest as she whispered, "Thank goodness..." Jun heard this and thought to himself, "_She sure was worried... Does that mean she's secretly in love with Gold?_"

As they neared the source of the signal, Mitsumi suddenly cried, "Look! It's that balloon again!" Indeed, the Meowth head balloon was just ahead of them, heading for the signal too. Kotone asked, "Hey Jun, do you think you could do something about them?" Jun replied, "With pleasure! Dragonite, use Hyper Beam!" After everyone made sure they were holding on, Dragonite reared back and began to gather energy in its mouth. It then released the energy as an orange beam, which hit the balloon just as the trio aboard realized it was coming.

As they were sent flying, Meowth groaned, "We saved up so much money to get ourselves a means of transportation, and now we gotta start saving up again!" James sighed, "Maybe we shouldn't even bother. We'd have more money for food if we didn't save some for gizmos and transportation." Jessie said, "Well right now, we've got something else to worry about!" At that, all three shouted, "WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" As usual, they disappeared as a star in the distance.

Back on the ground, everyone heard the explosion but they weren't sure what caused it. Shrugging it off, Gold pulled Gible off of his head and said, "You were really gutsy back there, jumping into the middle of a battlefield like that, then being able to go through a stream like that and still come out okay. You're a cool Pokémon!" At that, Gible started licking his face, causing everyone to giggle. Setting Gible down, Gold asked, "Forget the battle suggestion I had earlier. Why don't we travel together? We can work together on training that Draco Meteor move of yours until it's perfect! What do you say?" Gible thought a minute before giving Gold a nod. So he pulled out an empty Poké Ball and tapped it on Gible's head, the Land Shark Pokémon being pulled inside. The button on the front blinked a few times before it gave the telltale sound and sparkles that the capture was successful.

After Gold posed with the Poké Ball and his Pokémon, Jun's Dragonite landed on the ledge they were all standing on. As soon as it landed, Kotone leapt off of Dragonite and ran towards Gold as everyone turned towards Dragonite. She suddenly surprised Gold with a hug, saying, "Gold! I'm so glad you're alright!" Gold's face became very red as he said, "Uh... Yeah Kotone, I'm fine..." After she let go, Gold's Tyrogue ran over and gave him a relieved hug that he returned while Mitsumi came over and said, "Sorry about earlier, Gold. I didn't mean for that to happen. Can you forgive me?" Gold replied, "Hey, don't worry about it. Everyone makes mistakes. It's fine as long as this doesn't happen all the time."

Glancing around, Jun asked, "Hey, what happened to that Gible?" Gold held up the Poké Ball in his hand and said, "See for yourself." The Poké Ball then opened, letting Gible out. Mitsumi asked, "You caught it after you got out of the stream?" Gold replied, "No, I just asked it if it wanted to come with us before you guys got here." Jun smiled, "Hey, that's pretty cool! And now that I think about it, after what I've seen of you so far, you two will make a good combination." Gold replied, "Thanks, Jun. We'll do our best, right Gible?" At that, Gible once again gave him a non-painful bite on the head, everyone laughing at that.

* * *

Admittedly, I got the idea for changing Kotone's hair color from the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog series. They explained at one point why Princess Sally had a blonde and, later, a pink coloration when the comic was just starting out.

The reason Mistumi and Jun were so surprised at seeing Meowth talk is because almost the whole motto was said under the cover of the smoke; only the final part of the motto was visible and since Meowth was speaking with Jessie and James at that point, Jun and Mitsumi didn't know he could speak human. Also, Jessie, James, and Meowth aren't aware that Team Rocket is still around, in case anyone was wondering about that.


	24. Sinnoh Festival

The sound of footsteps sounded through a stone hallway, the frightening figure of Faust walking down a set of stairs as a door slid shut behind him, closing off the passage he had entered. As he walked, he passed by several candles hanging on both sides of the hall, all of them having eerie black flames instead of the usual orange flame.

Reaching the other end of the hall, a sliding door opened in the wall; walking through it, he stepped into a large circular room that had a set of stairs leading up to a stone slab that might serve as a throne on the left side of the room, the stairs meeting the ground at the middle of the floor, and a black hole in the ground on the opposite side of the throne. Faust walked to the middle of the room and then headed for the throne, walking up the steps and sitting down on the stone; he sat still, seeming to be focusing on something.

After several minutes, he said, "That blasted kitsune... It seems that whatever she did to me during our last battle has also affected my own power. I should have recovered completely already. In this state, I can't look for that Pokémon..." After a moment, he continued, "However, I can summon my Darklings with the power I do have... Yes, I believe that will work. Feelings of pure terror have always been able to help me recover quickly. Still, I cannot risk drawing attention to my plans too soon. I must pick the right location to demonstrate my power... Somewhere that isn't overly populated by wretched humans or disgusting Pokémon, yet will not go unnoticed."

He then began to focus again, letting his dark vision look out over the world, searching for a suitable place to start.

**Route 222**

Along the path near the beach stood a folding table with several folding chairs around it, Gold seated at one. Nearby, Hareta was cooking some stew in a large pot while Minami, Mitsumi, Kotone, and Jun were busy laying out things for lunch and sorting through the Pokémon food. Near Hareta were Minun, Gold's Pikachu, Gible, and Pichu, Minami's Pichu, and Kotone's Togepi and Totodile, all of them sniffing the smell of the stew that was being made.

Following Gold's capture of Gible the previous day, the group had visited both Eterna City and Pastoria City, checking out some of the sights around both cities. They also visited the Cycling Road, having some fun riding bikes before flying to Pastoria City, where they went to the Great Marsh. Crasher Wake was happy to see Hareta again, just like Roark and Gardenia, and served as their tour guide on the train that ran through the marsh and allowed visitors to see the Pokémon in their natural habitat. They then stayed at the Pokémon Center for the night and bid farewell to Crasher Wake earlier this morning before starting to make their way towards Sunyshore City to attend the festival today. It was now midday and they were stopping to enjoy some lunch.

"Come on, Hareta! Isn't lunch ready yet?" Gold groaned. Hareta turned around to face him and yelled, "IT'LL GET DONE SOONER IF YOU HELP OUT A LITTLE!" He then turned back to his pot while Minami looked at Gold and said, "He's right, you know. You could do something other than just sit there." As she went back to the blanket she had in her hands, Gold stood up and said, "Alright, fine. Sheeeeeesh..." He then released the rest of his Pokémon to let them know that lunch would be ready soon, prompting the others to do the same.

While Hareta kept stirring the stew, Gold handed out the Pokémon food containers, and Jun helped the Pokémon lay the picnic blanket out and set the bowls down on it, the girls headed into the nearby woods to get some water, each carrying a gray water container with them. After searching for a bit, they found a pond in the woods and began to fill up their containers.

As she filled up her container, Kotone's thoughts drifted back to the previous day, first thinking about how relieved she was to know Gold was okay, then back to what happened in Floaroma Town. She said, to no one in particular, "Both Hareta and Jun ended up catching the bride's bouquet... That means all three of them have someone with their eyes on them." Both Mitsumi and Minami looked at her as they all knelt next to the pond, Mitsumi asking, "What are you talking about, Kotone?" Kotone added, "Well, one of them does, anyway, since Gold is definitely being looked at." She then turned to Mitsumi and asked, "Is Jun your boyfriend, Mitsumi?"

Mitsumi's face turned a little red at this, her eyes going wide as she stuttered, "W-what? No! He's just an annoying pervert!" Kotone half-closed her eyes, amused, and asked, "So are you saying you have eyes for Hareta instead, Mitzi?" Mitsumi's slight annoyance at the name Kotone started using for her was drowned out by her growing embarrassment, her face very red as she cried, "Are you crazy? Hareta isn't even ten years old! Besides, how could anyone like him that way if they had to go through some of the things I did when I was traveling with him?"

Kotone replied, "So he's nine years old and you're fifteen years old. Real love doesn't discriminate. And who isn't without their faults? That makes the positives all the better, knowing that they aren't always perfect." Mitsumi asked, "Positives?" Kotone nodded, "I've been watching him on our journey so far. Hareta's an energetic, nice boy who would do anything to help his friends. That alone makes him quite a catch, wouldn't you say?" Mitsumi could only say, "I'm not so sure about that..."

As she pulled her container out of the water and stood up, Kotone said, "Come on, Mitzi! If you were forced to choose between one of the three, who would you pick?" Mitsumi put a finger to her chin and said, "I've never really thought about anything like that..." Kotone looked down at her and said, "Wow Mitsumi, I would think you'd be thinking about that often, especially after hearing about your childhood." Before anyone could say anything else, Kotone's PokéGear began to ring; she pulled it out her pocket and opened it, seeing that Gold was calling. After she answered, Gold asked her, "What's taking so long? Lunch is just about ready. Are you having trouble finding some water?" Kotone replied, "No, Gold. Just having a conversation not intended for male ears. We'll be there in a minute." She then closed her PokéGear, put it back in her pocket, then looked at Minami and Mitsumi and said, "I'll see you back at the table. I'd like to get a taste of this stew Hareta's making." She then ran back through the woods, carrying her container in her right hand.

After she disappeared into the trees, Mitsumi and Minami stood up with their containers full. Before they started heading back, Minami turned to Mitsumi and said, "Now that Kotone's not around, I'd like to know the truth, Mitsumi. Do you have any feelings for Hareta?" Mitsumi sighed, "Now you're going to start with that too?" Minami replied, "Hardly. I'm just going to say that it would probably be better to push any thoughts like that for Hareta out of your mind." Mitsumi turned to her and asked, "Why?" Minami answered, "Because it'll be less painful if it turns out Hareta doesn't think of you that way. And I'd like a little time with him this afternoon without any competition if possible." With that, she turned and headed in the same direction as Kotone.

Mitsumi stood for a moment longer, processing what she heard. "No competition? Does that mean...?" she murmured to herself. She then smirked to herself before hurrying after the Pokémon Ranger.

**Later, at the western end of the route**

A convertible sports car drove along the dirt road, loud music coming from its radio. In the passenger's seat sat a man with a red afro wearing a yellow T-shirt, two pairs of black wristbands, black pants that had a red belt and two red straps, and black sandals. He also had a pair of black sunglasses on to keep the sun out of his eyes as he looked around the route while his driver continued towards their destination.

As the car got about halfway down the route on the dirt path, the man in the passenger's seat noticed the group ahead packing up after their picnic lunch. One of the boys in the group really caught the man's attention, as he even removed his sunglasses to make sure he was sure of who he was seeing. "Hmm... The outfit is a little different, but..." he murmured to himself. He then grinned, "Speak of the daredevil! Driver, stop the car!" As he said this, he moved from his seat onto the door, his feet on the seat and his left arm on the windshield.

After the group was done packing and returned most of their Pokémon, they turned at the sound of the loud music to see what was going on. They tensed when they saw the car coming towards them, ready to move in case something happened. Before it reached them, the driver suddenly slammed on the brakes, sending the man in the passenger's seat flying through the air, doing a few aerial somersaults as he went! He landed on one foot and one knee before shooting up onto his feet. Upon seeing his face, Hareta exclaimed, "Flint!"

Flint grinned, "Long time no see, Hareta! So what do you think? Still wowed by my entrance?" Hareta replied, "You know it! What are you doing here?" Flint answered, "I was just on my way to the festival in Sunyshore City. Sure I'm a Fire-type Trainer, but it's fun all the same and I get to see my old pal Volkner while I'm there. You and your friends on your way there too?" Hareta nodded, "Yep! We're all going!"

Flint then introduced himself to Gold, Kotone, and Minami, all of them a bit surprised to be meeting Flint of the Sinnoh Elite Four in the flesh. Gold then said, "That's a neat car you've got there, Flint!" Flint grinned, "It's perfect for someone like me! I don't just try to be strong you know; I also try to put on a good show for the people! But enough about that. How about I give you kids a ride the rest of the way? There'll be more time to look around that way!" Everyone agreed, so they climbed in the car, Flint letting Hareta sit up front with him while the others got in the back.

Flint then said, "Driver, get us to Sunyshore City, freaky fast!" At that, the driver slammed down on the accelerator, kicking up dirt as the car sped off. Everyone started panicking at the speed that they were going, Mitsumi yelling, "Isn't this too fast for this kind of road!" Flint called back to her, "You're kidding, right? The last time this car went this slow was when I was visiting my grandparents!" Mitsumi's face went pale at that; she sat back in her seat and tried to hold onto both the car and her stomach.

Soon, the car reached the outskirts of Sunyshore City, at which point it finally began to slow down. As it skidded to a stop, it spun around like a top before stopping completely. Once it did, Flint said, "Okay, here we are! ...What's wrong?" He had a concerned look on his face as he looked his friends over; Hareta was slumping in his seat with both Minun and Misdreavus still gripping tightly to his chest, while Mitsumi was sprawled out over the trunk in her seat, Kotone was leaning against Gold, who was trying to sit up somewhat while holding both Pichu and Pikachu, and Jun and Minami were hanging over the door on their respective sides, Minami's Pichu leaning against her and Jun groaning, "Ohhhh, I'm gonna be sick..." After a moment, Flint placed a hand on the back of his afro and, grinning weakly, said, "Oh, I know what it is. I think I forgot my deodorant this morning."

He then hopped out of the car and said, "Still, we made it here in record time! And look, people are already heading down to the beach!" Everyone still sat in the car, trying to get their stomachs to stop doing flips before getting out. Hareta perked up quickly when a familiar voice said, "Whoa, what a stop! You definitely have someone who can control that thing!" He quickly hopped out of the car and saw that he was right in guessing who it was. It was his father, Kaisei, and his mother, Johanna! While everyone else began to get out of the car, Hareta dashed over to the two and hugged them, both parents glad to see their boy again while Minun and Misdreavus talked with Kaisei's Plusle, who had hopped out from behind the man's legs when Hareta came running over.

After everyone had gotten acquainted enough and everything was explained, Kaisei said, "I understand what Jasmine's talking about. It's hard to focus on anything when you've got a good friend in poor health. It's good to just let her keep an eye on her Ampharos friend." They continued talking as they walked down to the beach area, where the festival was taking place, while Flint headed for the gym to see Volkner after saying he would meet up with them later.

Arriving at the area near the beach, everyone was amazed at the sight of all the stalls present, offering many different games and treats. Hareta was about to run off and start looking around when Mitsumi grabbed him by his backpack and said, "Now hold it, Hareta. Right now, we're all sticking together. That means no running off like you usually do." Hareta groaned at this, "Aw, but I wanna go see what's going on over there!" Gold backed him up, "Yeah, he wants to go see that while I want to go see what's over here. Each of us wants to look at something different, so we might as well just split up now and meet up later."

Kotone grabbed Gold's arm, causing him to blush, and said, "Since I didn't have any ideas on where to go, I'll stick with you, Gold. Let's both go see what's over there!" She then began to drag him to the right of the group, Mitsumi unable to voice her protest in time. Minami said, "Well, as long as they're hanging out together, I'll go with Hareta. Is that alright with you, Hareta?" Hareta eagerly nodded at this, both of them heading in the other direction as the remaining members watched.

Once they were out of sight, Jun wrapped an arm around Mitsumi's shoulders and said, "I guess that just leaves you and me. How about we get some ice cream?" Mitsumi whacked him on the head and walked away saying, "How about you get my fist?" Both Kaisei and Johanna couldn't help but chuckle at this display before following her, Jun quickly getting back on his feet and following after them, wanting to stay with Mitsumi.

**With Kotone, Gold, Pikachu, and Pichu**

After getting away from the group, Gold, Kotone, Pikachu, and Pichu began to check out the stalls along a sidewalk, various tents pitched on both sides. The vendors were selling various Sinnoh goods, including Pokétches, Poffins, Coronet Rocks, Poké Radars, and Explorer Kits for the Sinnoh Underground. There was also a video being played on a large screen for travelers that talked about Lapras behavior, where their migration route took them, and explained a little bit about these locations.

As they stood on the side and watched part of the video, Kotone unconsciously began to lean against Gold, who was too busy watching the video to pay attention. After a minute, Kotone realized what she was doing and pushed herself back onto her feet, her cheeks a bit red. Gold felt the movement and looked at her confused, not knowing that she had been leaning against him. Kotone broke up the awkward silence when she saw a stand selling Slurpees and asked Gold if he wanted one, to which he replied that he did.

Gold decided to get a Blueberry Slurpee that he shared with Pikachu and Pichu while Kotone got a Hawaiian Punch Slurpee. With their icy treats in hand, they continued to walk look around the area, Kotone pushing the little incident into the back of her mind.

**Meanwhile, with Mitsumi, Jun, Kaisei, Plusle, and Johanna**

Mitsumi groaned as she walked away from Jun, who had just attempted to flirt with her again. She was seriously beginning to reconsider taking him up on his offer for a date, seeing as he was starting to get annoying again. She didn't wander off too far from him and Hareta's parents; just far enough that she could have some personal space to cool off.

Jun sighed, "Gee, could I be any unluckier at winning Mitsumi's heart?" Kaisei lowered his glass, which appeared to be a purple-colored wine glass, and said, "My boy, this chance is what all true lovers strive for! Play your cards right here and I'm sure you'll be closer to her than before!" Jun looked at him and asked, "You really think so?" Johanna said, "Of course. Just spend some time with her without putting the pressure on. A festival like this is perfect for that. That's how I met and fell in love with Kaisei after all!"

As Mitsumi came back over, Jun asked, "Hey Mitsumi, do you wanna just walk around and see what's available?" Mitsumi thought a moment, then said, "I guess so. As long as you don't try anything funny." Jun replied, "Don't worry, I know. I'll be good." As they left to walk around, Jun shot a signal to Kaisei to thank him for helping, though Kaisei didn't notice as he was drinking out of his glass again.

**With Hareta, Misdreavus, Minun, Minami, and Pichu**

As Hareta and Minami laughed and talked with each other and their Pokémon, they checked every stall they came across. Approaching another one, they saw a man wearing a green hat with a feather on the front of it, an orange long-sleeve shirt, a brown vest, and green pants talking to a man who had come behind his stall. The man said, "C'mon, I'm really interested in your business. What about credit?" The stall owner replied, while tapping his fingers together, "Sorry. I can't give credit. Come back when you're a little, MMMMMM, richer!" He pointed behind the man as he said this, the man leaving afterwards.

Stepping up to the stall with Hareta beside her, Minami said, "Excuse us." Turning to face them, the owner said, "Ah, customers to my little ice cream stand!" Hareta asked, "You sell ice cream?" The owner replied, "Yes. Cookie dough? Chocolate? Vanilla? You want it? It's yours my friends, as long as you have enough Pokédollars." They both fished in their pockets for their money and found that they had enough to pay for several ice cream cones. After they each got one, they continued to look around.

After they were finished with their ice cream, they started walking along the beach, which only had a few people hanging around. Suddenly, Minami received a call from the Ranger Union, so she and Pichu headed back up the beach to answer it, leaving Hareta alone with Minun and Misdreavus. As they watched the water lap against the beach, a familiar voice said, "I see you and your Pokémon are taking it easy, Hareta."

Turning around, Hareta saw the same blonde boy who had been secretly watching him and the others at the Oreburgh Mine, though his Absol was absent and he had a Growlithe instead. Hareta said, "Oh! Koya! I didn't know you were here." Koya spoke, "Well I saw you a few days ago. I was curious as to why you're here since I'd heard you were in Johto." Hareta replied, "We're just taking a short break since the Gym Leader of Olivine City has a sick Ampharos friend. Until it gets better, she won't go back to her Gym." Koya said, "I see."

Hareta asked, "What about you? Is there something going on here?" Koya replied, "Not per se. I'm technically off-duty right now, but if Looker contacts me, I'm back on the job in an instant." Hareta asked, "Who's Looker?" Koya said, "The guy with the long brown coat and short black hair who was pursuing your father until he caught Charon?" At the description, Hareta said, "Oh yeah, him! But I thought he said his name was Hansom?" Koya replied, "That was another one of his code names; I don't know what his real name is, even though we've been partners for a while now."

Hareta nodded, his eyes moving to look down at Growlithe, who was talking with Minun and Misdreavus. He remembered what he had learned from Charon and Koya back at Neo Team Galactic's HQ; about how Koya used to have fun with battles until a battle against a Gyarados had left Growlithe scarred mentally more than physically. Koya blamed his own recklessness as the reason and vowed to change so that it would never happen again, becoming the powerful calculating Trainer Hareta knew and wearing white gloves so that his skin would never come into direct contact with a Pokémon again. He had left Growlithe at the Pokémon Center before he joined the International Police, causing it to flee due to feeling rejected. Charon had managed to capture Growlithe after learning about Koya and attempted to use it against him and Hareta to stop them, but Hareta and Empoleon were able to free Growlithe, finally reuniting the two and causing Koya to stop wearing his gloves.

Koya could see that Hareta was looking down at Growlithe and, suspecting he was trying to restrain himself, said, "If you want to pet Growlithe, go ahead. I won't punch you." Hareta glanced up at him in surprise for a moment before kneeling next to Growlithe and rubbing its head, Growlithe enjoying it. As he petted Growlithe, he said, "It'd be great to go up against you in an official battle some time after seeing your strength while we were looking for criminals. Heck, maybe there'd be a winner if that happened." Koya knew what Hareta meant; when the Sinnoh League Tournament was resumed after Neo Team Galactic had been brought down, they'd fought in the semifinals match again, the battle going right down to the wire and ending in a tie. Koya had decided that it wasn't worth it to go through another round of battling to determine a winner, so he backed down and told Hareta afterwards they would settle their battle later. Due to Cynthia also withdrawing, the results of the tournament were declared to be unofficial, the continuation being labeled as 'being finished for fun' and Hareta being the unofficial champion. He didn't mind though, since he and his Pokémon had a lot of fun.

Hareta glanced up at Koya and was about to ask a question when Minami suddenly ran over and called, "Hey! Hareta!" As she neared him, she noticed Koya and asked, "Who's this?" Hareta glanced at Koya as he stood up, noticing he gave him an expression that told him not to mention his name, so he complied and said, "Uh, he's an old friend. We just bumped into each other out of chance." Minami nodded, then hooked her right arm around Hareta's left arm and said, "Well come on! The Lapras are arriving at the other side of the beach! Everyone else is already there!" With that, the two ran off with Pichu, Misdreavus, and Minun, Koya remaining behind with Growlithe. He and Growlithe headed up the beach, heading for a spot where they could keep an eye on the area.

As Hareta and Minami approached the rest of the group, they saw that Flint and Volkner had joined the others. They also saw that the school of Lapras had begun to arrive, separating as they arrived at the beach to mingle with the humans and Pokémon that had gathered to welcome them. They were all happy to be able to converse with humans as they took a break from their long travel.

Hareta noticed one of the Lapras was keeping something in the shelter of one of its fins. Walking over to it, he noticed it looked like some kind of egg, though not one he'd ever seen before. It was blue with yellow dots near one end and appeared to be see-through, as there was a red orb floating in its center. Hareta looked up at the Lapras and asked, "Is that egg one of your children?" The Lapras shook its head, but seemed hesitant to tell him anything about the egg. Misdreavus and Minun came over to the Lapras and talked with it for a minute, telling it that it could trust Hareta.

After thinking for a moment, the Lapras nudged the egg towards Hareta, who picked it up when it reached him. Looking at it, he asked, "What kind of egg is this?" The Lapras explained, "(It is the egg of a Legendary Pokémon known as Manaphy. We revere it as the Prince of the Sea. It is born with a power that allows it to bond with any type of Pokémon and will travel great distances to return to its birthplace. I happened upon this egg during our travels and our school agreed to keep it safe until it hatched or someone would be willing to watch over it for us.)"

As Lapras talked to Hareta, a familiar trio was listening in with their faithful translator. Needing money after having their balloon blown up, they decided that stealing a Manaphy egg would definitely make them rich. Although James tried to convince them that they needed a strategy, both Jessie and Meowth were too full of the desire to get money to pay him much attention and dashed out towards Hareta with James groaning as he followed them.

Hareta had just promised to give the egg to Minami so that it could be kept safe and was walking back towards the group with Minun and Misdreavus when he heard screaming behind him. Looking behind him, he saw Jessie, Meowth, and James running towards him, screaming about giving them the egg. Hareta decided that he was in no mood to even deal with them and started running, Minun and Misdreavus grabbing onto his jacket. As they ran along, Hareta released his Onix, which began tunneling under the sand after it was sent out; eventually, its digging caused a hole to open under the trio. Onix reappeared next to Hareta as they hit the ground below, Hareta thanking it for its help.

As they climbed out, Jessie growled, "Hey kid, pitfall traps are copyrighted to us!" James added, "Do you want a lawsuit against you for this?" Meowth commented, "Lousy thief!" As they reached the top, they realized that some of Hareta's friends had noticed what was happening and come over, specifically Minami and Kotone. Kotone asked, "Okay, what do you three want this time?" Jessie said, "Nothing short of that rare Manaphy egg your baby friend has!" Kotone looked down at the egg in Hareta's arms, then back up at the trio and asked, "A Manaphy egg?" James said, "Manaphy eggs are worth a lot of money! All our money woes will be over once we have that egg!" Minami said, "Well you're not getting it! Unless you want to go to jail for causing any more trouble, I suggest you leave!" Jessie said, "Trouble? We're the masters of trouble, sister! You can't possibly beat us in a battle of trouble!" Kotone grabbed one of her Poké Balls and said, "Then why don't you show us, since you haven't done a good job recently!"

At that, Jessie and James sent out their Pokémon, Seviper and Carnivine while Kotone sent out her Totodile. After James disentangled himself from Carnivine, both Jessie and James called for a Bite attack, Carnivine and Seviper rushing towards Onix and Totodile. Hareta called for a Rock Tomb, Onix letting out a roar as large rocks suddenly jutted out of the ground and surrounded Seviper. Kotone, meanwhile, called for an Ice Fang from Totodile, Totodile's front fangs glowing light blue and each sending a bolt of ice that struck Carnivine, who was sent flying with a light layer of ice on it.

At this point, Meowth had had enough of this and dashed forward, attacking Totodile with Fury Swipes, Totodile slashing back with its own claws. As he jumped back to ready a Slash attack, Meowth said, "I'm gonna saw ya to ribbons!" Kotone called for an Aqua Tail as Meowth jumped forward, Totodile's tail being surround a swirling stream of water as it struck Meowth right in the face, sending him flying and causing him to yell, "No I'm not!" As Totodile landed, it suddenly began to glow!

By this time, everyone else had noticed and were running over to see what was going on, seeing Totodile glowing as they got closer. When the glow faded, Totodile had evolved into Croconaw! It gave off a shout as the glow disappeared, shooting a high pressure stream of water out of its mouth. "Hey, that looks like a Hydro Pump attack!" Hareta commented. Kotone said, "Wow! That's great, Croconaw! You learned Hydro Pump all by yourself!" The trio was angered at how everyone was ignoring them and suddenly began to charge them in a group attack!

Suddenly, from the sidelines, an Ice Beam struck them, turning them into a large block of ice. Jun exclaimed, "What? Whose Ice Beam was that?" Volkner said, "Doesn't matter now. Just take advantage of it!" Kotone nodded, "Right! Croconaw, use Hydro Pump!" while Hareta said, "Onix, use Dragonbreath!" Both Pokémon launched their attacks together on the frozen trio, making a large explosion that freed them from the ice and sent them flying to the west! As they flew, they yelled, "WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!"

As everyone watched them disappear, a man with spiky blue hair and his Weavile, who had launched the Ice Beam, turned and walked away from the scene. They had been standing on the sidewalk at the edge of the sand, allowing them to quickly disappear into the crowd of people that hadn't noticed what was going on.

**Later...**

After the Lapras had rested enough, they bade farewell to everyone who had come to see them before setting out again, heading for colder waters. A little afterwards, everyone stood in front of the Pokémon Center while Minami contacted the Ranger Union about the Manaphy egg. Once she was done, she reported that her partner Natsuya would show up tomorrow to take the egg to be held at the Union until it hatched, at which point Natsuya would see that the Manaphy got to its home safely.

Everyone was glad to hear that, but before anyone could say anything else, a figure caught everyone's attention. "Silver!" Gold said. The red-haired boy had changed his appearance somewhat; while his hair was still long in the back, it had been noticeably cut short on the sides and a little in the front as well. He also wore a regular long-sleeved black and red shirt instead of the fleece shirt he wore before, as well as a lighter pair of jeans and black shoes instead of black boots. His gray eyes looked at Gold for a second before locking on Hareta. He spoke, "You. Your name is Hareta, right?" Hareta nodded, "Yeah?"

"I challenge you to a battle."

* * *

Yeah, so I thought I'd try something different for this chapter. Not sure if I'll do anything like this in the future.

Can you spot the references I made here? Both of them are famous (or maybe infamous) Zelda references.

And yes, now Silver has his HGSS appearance.

Music:

The Tomb of Darkness - Time of Judgement (Final Fantasy X)

Picnic Lunch - Beware the Forest's Mushrooms (Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars)

Drive to Sunyshore City - Mario Circuit & Luigi Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)

Festival Fun - Main Menu (Mario Golf Toadstool Tour)

Old Rivals Meet Again - Ninetales (PMD: Red/Blue Rescue Team)

Team Rocket's Desire - Bossa Nova of Briny Air (Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg)

Silver's Challenge - Rival Encounter (Pokémon HGSS)


	25. Hareta vs Silver

After having fun at the festival and protecting a Legendary Pokémon egg, everyone was looking forward to a relaxing evening when Silver decided to show up, challenging Hareta to a battle. The boy replied, "A battle? Well sure, but it's getting kind of late and we just got done with something earlier this afternoon. Why don't we battle tomorrow? That way, both our Pokémon will be at their full strength."

Silver replied, "Very well then. Tomorrow it is." He turned around and was about to walk away when Gold said, "Hey Silver! You're looking to compete in the Johto League Silver Conference too. Both Hareta and I earned our Storm Badges from Chuck a few days ago, giving us five. How many do you have?" Silver answered, "None of your business, Gold. I'm not interested in you right now." He then walked away, heading for a little camp that he set up on Route 222 to avoid running into any complications.

Gold muttered, "Good to see he's about as sunny as ever. Sure like to know what his problem is." Hareta looked at Gold and said, "Just let it go, Gold. He's not going to talk about it." Mitsumi looked at Kotone and asked, "Who's he? He kind of reminds me of Koya." Kotone replied, "As you heard, his name is Silver. He's Gold's rival; they usually fight whenever we run into him. The fact that he's showing interest in battling Hareta is new, though."

As they watched Silver walk away, a certain blonde-haired Trainer was spying on the whole conversation from nearby. "_That guy with the red hair... He almost matches the description given by Professor Elm to the local police..._" he thought to himself.

**Later that night, in the Pokémon Center lobby**

Mitsumi, Kotone, Kaisei, and Johanna were sitting in some of the chairs in a corner of the lobby while Flint, Volkner, and Minami were leaning against the wall nearby. "I've gotta admit, I never expected Cyndaquil to have a Trainer like Silver. And from what I can see, he couldn't be more different from Gold or Hareta if he tried," Mitsumi was saying. Volkner said, "And I'm sure they couldn't ignore him if they tried for that same reason." Johanna looked around and asked, "Speaking of which, where is that boy of mine?"

Near the entrance to Sunyshore City, Hareta and Empoleon were watching Gold practice with some of his Pokémon. Bayleef was testing its Magical Leaf against Pidgeot's Twister, Tyrogue was sparring with Buizel, Pikachu was testing Volt Tackle, and Gible was trying to perfect Draco Meteor. Pikachu made a perfect Volt Tackle, smashing a large boulder that had a few small cracks in it, but Gible's Draco Meteor ended up backfiring. It launched the orb into the star-filled sky, but then it suddenly began falling towards Hareta and Empoleon! Hareta called, "Empoleon, use Hydro Pump!" Empoleon complied, blasting the orb with a powerful stream of water that made it explode before it hit them. Gold grinned weakly, "Uh, sorry about that, guys. Guess we still need a little work on that one..." Both Hareta and Empoleon said it was alright.

They arrived back at the Pokémon Center a little later, ready to call it quits for the night. Before they headed up, Flint came over and asked Hareta, "I don't suppose you'd mind if I came to watch your battle tomorrow, little dude?" Hareta replied, "Hey, that'd be great, Flint! Everyone else can too! I'm sure Silver won't care one way or the other."

**The next morning...**

Hareta, Gold, Kotone, Mitsumi, Jun, and Minami stepped out of the Pokémon Center with everyone else behind them, only to see Silver waiting for them. "Geez, you're impatient. We were just coming over to find you now," Mitsumi said to Silver. He replied, "I don't care what you think, noisy woman." Mitsumi started to fume at this, though Silver ignored her and turned his attention to Hareta, asking, "Are you ready to battle?"

Before Hareta could reply, a shadow appeared over everyone. Looking up, they saw a Dragonite fly a little past them before descending. Everyone looked at the Dragonite, seeing a figure riding on its back. Both Hareta and Kaisei could clearly see the figure, Hareta exclaiming, "Whoa, it's the Tower Tycoon, Palmer!" Jun said, "Really? It's daddy?" Kaisei said to Hareta, "Hey, I remember Palmer telling me he ran into you when you came to the Fight Area. Did you run into him again after that?" Hareta replied, "Yeah! When we were going around the region after the Sinnoh League, I challenged the Battle Frontier that opened after the tournament. Some of the facilities took a few tries, but I eventually beat all of them!" Silver looked surprised at this, saying, "What? You conquered the Sinnoh Battle Frontier?"

After his Dragonite landed, Palmer jumped off and came over to the group. He saw many familiar faces along with a few new ones. Looking at Hareta, Jun, and Kaisei, he said, "Well I'll be. It's been a while Kaisei. And I see my favorite pair of challengers is here too!" He also said hi to Volkner and Flint before suddenly trying to flirt with Mitsumi. Jun pushed himself between him and her, shouting, "Daddy, how many times do I have to say it? I saw Mitsumi first, I get the first shot!" Palmer yelled back, "That's what you said last time! You can't really say you get your chance first if you haven't even gone on a date with her yet!" As the two continued to argue, Kotone whispered to Gold, "Just like with Hareta and his dad, it looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree with these two." Gold nodded in silent confirmation.

Silver spoke up, "If you're all done with your playing around, then it's time for a battle." Palmer looked over at him and asked, "What do you mean by that, young man?" Hareta said, "He challenged me to a battle last night and I said we should wait until today. It does bring up a question, though. Where would be a good place to have a battle?" Palmer said, "I know. How about you two battle back at your old home on Route 201? There's that big field near the lake where that meteor crashed about 3 years ago." Hareta agreed that it was a good idea, so Jun and Gold called out Pidgeot and Dragonite so they could get to Route 201 quickly. Everyone piled onto either Pidgeot or one of the two Dragonite except for Volkner, who was expecting a new challenger.

**Later, in the forest on Route 201**

They quickly arrived at Route 201 and headed into the forest after running into Professor Rowan, soon finding the field where the meteor had landed so long ago. After Gold's Geodude filled and sealed in the hole and Hareta spent a few minutes with his old forest friends (much to Silver's annoyance), the two boys stood on opposite ends of the field while Gold, Pikachu, Gible, the Spiky-Eared Pichu, Bayleef, Kotone, Croconaw, Togepi, Ralts, Cubone Mitsumi, Jun, Minami, and the ukulele Pichu sat on the ground off on the sidelines while Kaisei, Plusle, Johanna, Professor Rowan, and Flint sat on a log behind them, Johanna's Kangaskhan, Jumpy, sitting just behind them with all of Hareta's old friends.

Palmer walked in between the two, just outside of the battlefield, and said to Hareta, "Hareta, I'll serve as the referee for this battle." Silver called, "Why bother?" Hareta and Palmer looked at him curiously, Silver explaining, "This will be a full 6-on-6 battle. Substitutions will be allowed, and the battle is over once all of one Trainer's Pokémon cannot continue." Hareta agreed to these terms while Palmer walked over to the log and took a seat. Jun asked him, "Hey dad, how come you're staying to watch? Don't you have to get back to the Battle Tower?" Palmer replied, "Not today, Jun. The Battle Frontier is closed today. Therefore, I have a lot of free time today."

Turning her attention to the battlefield, Mitsumi said, "That Silver guy really is arrogant. How long has he been a Trainer?" Gold heard this and said, "He 'got' his first Pokémon the same day I did, Mitsumi. Still, given his preference for Pokémon, I'm sure he wouldn't challenge Hareta to a full battle if he didn't know what he was doing." Kotone nodded, "That's for sure. Something about Hareta must've caught his attention if he would demand a battle from him as he did."

As the battle was about to begin, a familiar trio watched from some bushes, all of them covered with bruises and peck marks after running from a flock of wild Starly earlier. In a different set of bushes, Koya arrived to watch from a distance, having followed them to Route 201 with his Metagross. Finally, a woman with red hair and a Team Galactic uniform was watching from her own set of bushes, her eyes focused on Hareta. She thought, "_Why am I here...? Is it because of him? Am I drawn to him in some way?_"

On the battlefield, both Hareta and Silver sent out their first Pokémon at the same time. Once the two glows faded, they were revealed to be Minun and Golbat. Plusle cheered over to Minun, who called back. Silver wasn't impressed by Minun, saying, "You think you can start out with something small to get me to let my guard down? It's probably no stronger than the two weaklings he has." He gestured to Gold as he said this, Gold, Pikachu, and Pichu glaring daggers at him. Hareta replied, "Don't think it's going to be that easy, Silver. Minun's cute for sure, but he's not going to be beaten easily." Minun let out a chirp at this, showing it agreed with Hareta. Silver smirked, "We'll see."

Silver led off, calling for an Air Cutter from Golbat. Golbat complied, flapping its wings to stay in place as it fired "S" shaped energy discs at Minun. As they got closer, Hareta called, "Minun, use Rollout!" At that, Minun curled up into a ball and began rolling as the discs hit the ground it had just been standing on. Silver, while a bit impressed at Hareta's use of the head-on attack, simply ordered, "Golbat, dodge that attack and go after Minun!" Golbat swerved out of the way as Minun leapt up at it, then began to chase the Cheering Pokémon. Everyone watching could see that this was a good move; Minun couldn't change directions very well while rolling.

Silver commanded, "Now Golbat, use Poison Fang!" Golbat's fangs began to glow purple as poison filled them, beginning to inch its way closer to Minun. Before it could come into contact with it, Hareta called, "Minun, Sonic Rolling Thunder!" At his call, Minun suddenly glowed yellow and fired Thunder right into Golbat while still rolling! This threw everyone off, even Silver; they'd never seen a Pokémon fire an attack during a Rollout before. The Thunder pushed Golbat away and left it sparkling as it flapped its wings. After the attack subsided, Minun came out of its Rollout and turned to face Golbat.

Hareta called, "Minun, Spark attack!" Minun crouched down and began running towards Golbat, who was having trouble staying airborne, soon being surrounded by a light coat of blue electricity. Before Minun could attack, Silver shouted, "Supersonic!" At that, Golbat brought its wings down from its face and blasted Minun with loud sound waves, leaving it dazed and causing it to miss Golbat entirely. Before Minun had time to recover, Silver ordered, "Leech Life, then Wing Attack!" Golbat's fangs glowed green and extended, striking Minun and stealing its energy for several seconds. Its fangs then returned to normal and some of the damage from the Thunder was healed. As Minun turned around to face Golbat, it was right up next to it and slapped it hard with a glowing white wing, sending it flopping across the ground! As it sat up, Minun rubbed its left cheek, which looked like Minun might've been slapped by an angry princess.

Silver said, "Finish the weakling off! Poison Fang!" Once again, Golbat's fangs began to glow purple as it swooped towards Minun quickly. Hareta called, "Hang in there, Minun! Use Swift attack!" Minun stood up and released a barrage of stars from its mouth, which created an explosion when they hit Golbat. Taking advantage of the smoke, Hareta called for another Spark attack, this one hitting Golbat where it counted. It fell to the ground with swirly eyes, Minun standing a short distance away, panting a bit but still standing strong.

Jun grinned, "Looks like Hareta wins the first battle!" Gold, Kotone, and their Pokémon threw Hareta and Minun a few cheers at this while everyone else either smiled or kept their focus on the fact that the battle was just starting. Silver ignored all this as he calmly recalled his Golbat; he then looked up at Hareta and said, "That was your free win." Hareta asked, "What does that mean?" Silver stated, "I deliberately held Golbat's true strength back so I could gauge you and see what your battle style is. This was the only easy victory you're going to get, because now it gets serious." Without another word, he sent out his next Pokémon, a Sneasel!

Off on the sidelines, Gold spoke, "A Sneasel? I didn't know Silver had one." Professor Rowan said, "It will surely be quite a switch from an average-speed Pokémon like Golbat to a quick one like Sneasel. I wonder if Hareta will be able to contend with that." Kaisei looked at him and said, "Relax, Professor! Hareta will overcome it! He doesn't get beat easily, you know!" During all this, Hareta stayed focused on the Sneasel, remembering that Sneasel evolved into Weavile. He'd already learned about how quick Weavile were from his battle against Cyrus; even if it wasn't the fully evolved form, he figured Sneasel was likely to be fast as well.

Hareta could see that Minun still wanted to battle, so he led off by calling for a Quick Attack, Minun shooting towards Sneasel with a streak of white behind it. Silver retaliated by calling for an Agility, Sneasel dodging the attack and then occasionally being seen in blurred form as it dashed around the battlefield. As Minun and Hareta tried to see where Sneasel was, Minun was suddenly blasted by a Screech attack! Before it could even stand up, Sneasel was right next to it, slashing it with a Fury Swipes attack! It didn't stop there though, as it suddenly launched Minun into the air with an upward Slash, followed by a Headbutt! This last attack sent Minun flying off the battlefield and into a tree that was next to the bush that Jessie, James, and Meowth were watching from. The impact left a bit of a mark in the tree, Minun falling to the ground badly cut and with swirly eyes.

As Hareta dashed over to Minun, Kotone said, "No way... Minun was beat without landing any attacks on Sneasel." Palmer nodded, "And that says a lot about Silver's battle style. He's quick and brutal when it comes to Pokémon battles. He had that Sneasel lash out with a combination of powerful moves in order to leave them overwhelmed. The challenge here is going to be for Hareta and his Pokémon to work closely together to find an opening to strike from."

Hareta cradled Minun in his arms as he knelt next to the tree. He asked, "Hey Minun, are you okay?" The Cheering Pokémon opened its eyes and gave a quiet cry, "(I'm okay. I'm sorry that he got me so easy...)" Hareta shook his head, "No, you did great, buddy. Don't beat yourself up about that. Remember, the battle's just started. It's a long way from decided." He then recalled Minun into its Poké Ball and headed back to his spot. In the bushes, James whispered, "Do you think the little kid stands a chance against that rude brat?" Jessie whispered back, "I don't know. All I care about it seizing the opportunity to get some strong Pokémon while they're weak. Anything to make up for all the pain from those annoying beaks!" Meowth whispered, "Shh! Keep it down, Jess! I don't think we're the only watching from this far."

As Hareta resumed his position, Silver asked, "Ready to give up now?" Hareta replied as he brought out a Poké Ball, "Are you kidding? This early? We're still raring to go for more!" As he said this, the woman in the bushes thought to herself, "_It's true; he's not one to give up easily. Maybe that's why it feels different when I think about him... Still, this other kid clearly isn't messing around with him. What'll you do now, Hareta?_"

Hareta called out his Scyther for his second Pokémon. Off on the sidelines, Minami said, "He's going with a tough Bug-type. That should be effective against a Sneasel, as long as they can watch out for any Ice-type moves." Mitsumi added, "This is going to be a contest of speed between those two. They're both extremely fast, so it could go either way."

Suddenly, Silver said, "Sneasel, return!" After recalling his Sneasel, he sent out a Xatu. Hareta decided not to exchange and called for a Razor Wind, Scyther crossing its scythes before bringing them forward and launching white crescent energy beams at Xatu. Silver countered by calling for a Night Shade, Xatu's eyes glowing black and firing similarly colored energy beams from them. The two attacks held for a moment before exploding. Silver ordered a Tailwind, followed by a Peck, thinking he could catch Hareta off-guard with another quick series of moves. Hareta wasn't going to fall for it twice, though, and called for an X-Scissor, the attack catching Xatu's beak before slashing it away.

Silver growled, "What are you doing! Get back in there and use Psychic now!" Recovering from the hit, Xatu's eyes began to glow blue, a blue glow surrounding Scyther and restricting its movement while damaging it. Hareta called, "Fight it off, Scyther! Swords Dance, then Night Slash!" Working through the damage being caused by the Psychic attack, Scyther began to spin as its attack power went up. The spinning broke through the Psychic, the blue fading from around it. After it was done, it fluttered its wings, moving towards Xatu quickly. Before Silver could order a counter, Scyther's purple glowing left scythe slashed Xatu as it passed it. After a few seconds, Xatu fell forward, knocked out.

Silver recalled Xatu and, as he looked at its Poké Ball, loudly said, "Pathetic. That's all you've got? I'll deal with you later." This earned him more than a few glares from the sidelines, but he ignored them. He said, "Sneasel, get out here now!" Once again, the Sharp Claw Pokémon appeared on the battlefield. Both Trainers led off with Agility, both Scyther and Sneasel moving so fast that it was very hard to keep track of where each was. Eventually, Scyther tried to go in for a Slash attack, only to get knocked back by an Icy Wind from Sneasel. While it was disoriented, Sneasel hit it with a Faint Attack followed by a Metal Claw. Scyther still managed to stay up, slamming it back with a Quick Attack, but while Sneasel was flying through the air, it managed to use Ice Shard, a ball of ice hitting Scyther in the chest. It struggled to stay up for a minute, but soon fell backwards, being caught by Hareta when he saw that it was going to fall back. Although he caught it, Scyther was defeated.

As Hareta recalled Scyther and thanked it for battling hard, Silver once again recalled Sneasel, saying nothing. Hareta sent out Misdreavus for his next Pokémon, so Silver answered with his Haunter. Silver attempted to lead off with a Sucker Punch, but it failed due to Hareta calling for a Spite attack. In retaliation, Silver ordered Haunter to use Lick, while Hareta called for a Shadow Ball. The tongue managed to hold the Shadow Ball in place, but Haunter was left unable to move. Taking this chance, Hareta had Misdreavus sneak up on Haunter with an Astonish attack, which caused it to retract its tongue in shock and release the Shadow Ball. Misdreavus quickly slipped away before Haunter was hit by the attack.

Silver responded to this by saying, "Haunter, use Shadow Punch!" After he said this, one of Haunter's hands shot out from a nearby shadow and hit Misdreavus hard, almost knocking it to the ground. He then called for another Lick attack, Misdreavus just barely avoiding it only to get hit by a sudden Night Shade! Hareta called for Misdreavus to use Hypnosis, which Silver also called for. Both of them hit each other, canceling out. When Silver didn't order another move, Hareta took the opportunity to call for a Power Gem, Misdreavus creating a glowing orange ball in front of its mouth. Raising it up, it dramatically grew in size and Misdreavus threw it at Haunter. Just before it hit, Silver said, "Destiny Bond." Haunter's eyes glowed purple just before the attack hit, being knocked out by it. Just as it hit the ground, Misdreavus suddenly glowed purple and fell on the ground defeated.

Gold asked, "What happened? How did Misdreavus get knocked out after Haunter fainted?" Flint said, "If the move Destiny Bond is used right before the user faints, the opponent will get taken down with it. Just like with Golbat, Silver was willing to let one of his Pokémon faint in order to get at Hareta in some way." In the bushes, Koya was angered at Silver's actions; he could see that Silver was just trying to hurt and mess with Hareta's Pokémon at the same time instead of simply trying to win the battle. "_What is that guy thinking?_" he thought to himself.

After recalling their Pokémon, Hareta sent out Empoleon while Silver sent out his Magnemite. Before they could start battling, Silver suddenly recalled Magnemite and sent out his Ursaring instead! Silver ordered Ursaring to use Belly Drum, its Attack being maximized at the cost of some health, while Hareta called for a Hydro Pump. Before the powerful Water-type attack could hit, Silver called for a Slash attack, Ursaring stepping out of the way and cutting the attack as it came past it. Hareta called for a Metal Claw next while Silver called for another Slash attack, the two moves hitting and canceling each other out. Silver then called for a Focus Blast, but Hareta countered with an Aqua Jet, hitting Ursaring before it could fully charge its attack. Afterwards, Silver first had Ursaring use Faint Attack, taking advantage of Empoleon being so close, then followed up with Thrash, Empoleon getting hit multiple times by the attack.

Although Empoleon remained standing, Silver recalled Ursaring due to it being confused as a result of Thrash's aftereffects. He then sent in his Sneasel once again, Empoleon ready to face it. Sneasel led off with an Icy Wind, which didn't stop the Drill Peck that Hareta called for. Empoleon blasted through the weak wind, being better protected from it due to its thick down, and slammed into Sneasel with its spinning attack.

After Sneasel recovered from the hit, Silver commanded it to use a Quick Attack, causing it to shoot towards Empoleon with a streak of white behind it. Hareta responded by calling for an Aqua Jet, Empoleon surrounding itself with water and slamming into Sneasel, easily overpowering the Quick Attack. Sneasel, however, managed to push away far enough to get on top of Empoleon, landing on its back. As soon as it landed, Silver ordered it to use Metal Claw, Sneasel's right claw glowing brightly before it slashed it across Empoleon's back. The attack had enough power to send Empoleon into the ground. Before it could push itself back up, Sneasel leapt above it and fired a Shadow Ball. When the dust settled, Empoleon was knocked out.

Hareta recalled Empoleon back and stared down at its Poké Ball for a few moments before quietly thanking and apologizing to it. He then looked back up at Silver, wondering if he should keep going or throw in the towel after having most of his Pokémon so badly hurt by the Pokémon of the red haired boy. Silver mocked him, "That was one of your strongest, wasn't it? Perhaps if you weren't such a sentimental sap, you would've beaten me already. But you let such worthless things as friendship cloud your judgment. Do you see now that you can't beat me by having friends?" Gold glared at Silver before calling to Hareta, "You've got to hang in there, Hareta! You know he's wrong! Show him what it means to trust Pokémon!"

Somewhat revived by Gold's words, Hareta sent out Grovyle next. In the bushes, Koya thought, "_So it's going to be another match of speed. Hareta is losing right now, but he's worked his way out of tougher scrapes. I've seen plenty of them. This battle is still up for grabs._" In another set of bushes, the woman was so focused on the battle that the sound of talking through her communicator surprised her. A female voice on the other end said, "Come in, Mars! Are you there?" Slipping the communicator on, Mars whispered, "Will you keep it down, Jupiter? I'm not exactly in a place that's good for yelling!" Jupiter answered back, "Alright, sorry. Look, Master Cyrus is looking to do an investigation of some kind and he wants us to help him since we've stayed in contact since he disbanded Team Galactic." Mars sighed, "Fine. Just let me get out of here before you tell me where we'll meet up." She clicked off her communicator and began to exit the forest, taking one more glance back at Hareta before he left her sight.

Silver intended to finish this battle quickly, so he called for an Ice Shard from Sneasel. As the ball of ice shot towards Grovyle, Hareta told Grovyle to dodge and attack with Quick Attack. After Sneasel got hit, Silver called for another Metal Claw, which was stopped by a Leaf Blade from Grovyle. While they were struggling to overpower one another, Silver called for an Icy Wind and Hareta called for a Bullet Seed. Grovyle's attack hit first, the glowing yellow seeds blasting Sneasel away. As Sneasel pushed itself up and struggled to remain standing, Silver called for another Shadow Ball. Hareta had Grovyle dodge it and then use Giga Drain, Grovyle's eyes glowing green as it absorbed energy from Sneasel. This was too much for Sneasel, as it finally fainted.

Silver wasted no time in recalling Sneasel and sending out Ursaring to replace it, leaving Hareta and Grovyle no time for anything. Silver led off by calling for a Faint Attack, though Grovyle dodged it when Hareta told him to use Dig. Unfortunately, a Hammer Arm aimed towards the ground forced Grovyle out before he could strike. While he was in the air, Silver ordered a Hyper Beam, but Hareta called for Detect while Ursaring was still charging up, giving Grovyle time to evade the attack. Hareta then called for an Energy Ball, Grovyle charging up green energy between his hands and sending it flying towards Ursaring. Silver made no command to dodge or counter it, Ursaring taking the hit. Afterwards, he told Ursaring to use Slash, Ursaring charging towards Grovyle with glowing white claws. A Leaf Blade from Grovyle stopped the claws and hit it back. Grovyle also landed a Slam attack, but Ursaring was able to grab Grovyle's leaf and throw him to the ground. While he was on the ground, Ursaring did another Hammer Arm, the force of the attack knocking Grovyle out.

Everyone watching knew that the battle was coming to its end, as Hareta now had only one Pokémon left. As he looked at Silver, Hareta thought, "_I've got one friend left, while Silver still has Ursaring and Magnemite. But Ursaring has suffered a lot of damage from both Empoleon and Grovyle._" He focused his gaze as he thought, "_We still have a chance._" Pulling out a Poké Ball, he whispered, "It's just you and me now." Off on the sidelines, Jun said, "He's still got a few powerful Pokémon he hasn't called out yet. I wonder who he's going to go with." Mitsumi nodded, "He knows what he's up against. And he knows his Pokémon's strengths and weaknesses. He knows what he needs to do."

Hareta sent out his final Pokémon, some of the spectators surprised to see that he chose Cyndaquil. "What? Why would he choose Cyndaquil instead of Lucario?" Mitsumi exclaimed. Gold said, "Kotone and I talked with him last night. With Silver being her previous Trainer, Hareta knows that having Cyndaquil participate in the battle will be critical. She'll be the big deciding factor in this battle." Jun spoke, "I would think having some consideration of the type matchups would be more of a deciding factor. Lucario would be perfect for that."

Kaisei said, "That's not what Gold meant. Except for Empoleon, all the Pokémon Hareta has used so far are all new captures, yet they're as close to him as the Pokémon he has known since his first journey. Hareta is not going to follow the path that Silver is going down of simply overpowering his opponents with strong Pokémon attacks. He's looking to prove to Silver that the most important thing when it comes to being a Trainer is that Trainer and Pokémon must be able to love and trust each other. He used Empoleon because they've been together the longest; they're inseparable. And he wants to prove that bond with all of his newest friends, especially the one that has had a history with Silver." Neither Jun nor Mitsumi knew what to say, so they turned their attention back to the battle.

"Okay, Cyndaquil, let's show them your power! Flame Wheel!" Hareta called, Cyndaquil curling into a ball of flames and shooting towards Ursaring. Silver ordered, "Slash attack!" Ursaring swung its claws at Cyndaquil, knocking her attack back but not damaging her due to the flames surrounding her. While she was flying, Hareta called for a Flamethrower, Cyndaquil coming out of Flame Wheel and hitting Ursaring with a stream of flames! Afterwards, Hareta called for Cyndaquil to use Dig, Cyndaquil immediately digging under the ground when she landed. Silver ordered Ursaring to once again aim Hammer Arm towards the ground, but Cyndaquil resurfaced quickly and slammed into Ursaring! Hareta called, "Way to go, Cyndaquil! Flamethrower one more time!" Cyndaquil landed a critical hit this time, Ursaring taking damage for several seconds before being blown back as it fell to the ground knocked out.

While Hareta cheered for Cyndaquil, in the bushes, Meowth said, "Cyndaquil was amazing." James added, "That's what I would expect from someone who can do it if they really try!" Jessie spoke, "We have to learn from that boy's battle and try our best as well!" All of them had tears streaming down their faces as they said this, Wobbuffet popping up and saying its name with the same tears running.

While Silver recalled Ursaring and gave a "hmph," Hareta sighed and said, "Thank you, Cyndaquil." Cyndaquil turned to look at him and gave an affirmative cry. Hareta said, "Alright, we've come this far, so let's try our best. Let's finish this up!" Cyndaquil nodded as she gave another cry, her body suddenly starting to glow! Except for Silver, everyone was caught off guard at this, Gold saying, "Cyndaquil's starting to evolve!"

Cyndaquil's body and front legs began to grow longer, her nose shrinking and a pair of ears beginning to sprout out of the sides of her head. She stood on her hind legs as the glow faded, her once slit-like eyes opening to reveal a pair of golden-yellow eyes instead of the normal dark red eyes that Quilava are known to have. She reared back and let out a loud yell as she flexed her arms, Hareta exclaiming, "Awesome! You evolved into Quilava!" On the sidelines, Kotone pulled out her Pokédex and opened it, her Pokédex saying, "Quilava, the Volcano Pokémon. The evolved form of Cyndaquil. This Pokémon is fully covered by nonflammable fur. It can withstand any kind of fire attack."

As he looked on, Professor Rowan said, "It would appear Cyndaquil has responded to Hareta's feelings, allowing it to unlock new powers. Show it to us, the love and trust you share with your Pokémon, Hareta." As he was saying this, Quilava was warming up for the rest of the battle when her right paw suddenly started to glow. She swung it forward in a punch, the wind being pushed towards Silver by it. Seeing this, Hareta exclaimed, "Focus Punch! You learned a new move on your own! That's amazing!" Quilava did a few aerial flips at that, using all four legs to jump.

Silver watched emotionlessly through all this, at this point calling out his Magnemite for the last battle. He led off by calling for a SonicBoom, Hareta responding by calling for a Quick Attack that went around the waves of energy that Magnemite fired and slammed into it. Silver then commanded Magnemite to use Metal Sound, causing it to emit a loud metallic screech that had everyone covering their ears. Hareta called for a Dig and Focus Punch combo, Quilava going underground to charge up a Focus Punch. Silver made no command to stop Quilava; he just stood there while Magnemite hovered in place. Hareta suspected Silver was trying to trick him, but he went along with it anyway, Quilava bursting from the ground and slamming her glowing fist into Magnemite. As Magnemite went flying, Silver called for a Zap Cannon, Magnemite somehow firing it while it was spinning around in the air and managing to hit the ground near Quilava, which was still close enough to affect her.

Quilava groaned as her body sparked with electricity, the assured paralysis taking effect even though the Zap Cannon had not hit her directly. She attempted to fire a Flamethrower, but couldn't move due to the paralysis, allowing Magnemite to hit her with a Gyro Ball and send her sprawling back. Standing up, she growled, "(No way! I'm not going to let Hareta lose after everyone's come so far! I will NOT be beaten now, Silver!)" As she said this, the flames erupting from her head and back suddenly grew in intensity as a red aura surrounded her. As he saw this, Hareta thought, "_I've seen something like that before. Empoleon used to have it appear back when he was a Piplup and Torrent activated. Treecko did something similar that one time when we were on our way to Olivine City and Overgrow activated. So this must be that ability Silver was talking about... Blaze._"

Seeing that the battle was coming to its end, Silver ordered a Spark attack from Magnemite while Hareta called for Quilava to use Flame Wheel. Both Pokémon rushed towards each other, enveloped by their attacks. As they came into contact, an explosion of dust erupted, blocking out everyone's view. After a minute, the dust settled and everyone could see Quilava standing and Magnemite floating, both having been pushed back to where they had started approaching each other from. After a moment, Quilava suddenly fell forward and an "X" appeared on Magnemite's eye, both of them hitting the ground at roughly the same time.

As Hareta ran over to Quilava and Silver recalled Magnemite, Minami said, "I don't believe it... The battle ends in a draw?" Mitsumi spoke, "I hate to say it, but..." Gold cut her off, "Don't even think about it!" Palmer said, "Hareta battled hard and stayed true to what he believes in during this battle. That's what's really important in the long run here."

As Hareta cradled Quilava, she opened her eyes and looked up at him weakly, still affected by the paralysis. Before either one could say anything, Silver spoke, "Looks like coming to Sinnoh for a chance to battle you was an utter waste of my time after all. I was expecting more from you after seeing some of your Pokémon, but it seems that you have no idea what it means to be strong. If you ever decide to stop being a weakling, come find me and let me know so I can teach you what it really means to battle." He then turned and walked away, leaving the clearing in the forest and heading for Sunyshore City to go back to Johto. In the bushes, Koya also turned around and left, deciding it was time to make himself scarce before anyone saw him.

Jun growled as he watched Silver leave, "Geez, what an insensitive jerk! And I thought Koya was cold before! That guy is even worse!" Kaisei angrily said, "That kid doesn't know the first thing about being a Trainer if he believes that only strength matters in a battle! How dare he talk to Hareta that way!" Gold and Kotone turned towards where Hareta had been standing when they heard his name, only to gasp at what they saw. Everyone turned their attention to where they were looking, only to find Hareta had seemingly run off.

Hareta was following a path in the forest that led to Sandgem Town, heading for the Pokémon Center as he tightly clutched Quilava to his chest. Tears fell from the side of his face and hit the ground, his shoulders shaking as he ran...

* * *

The "Sonic Rolling Thunder" I used during the battle is not exactly a reference to Sonic. I was trying to implement Hareta's style of nicknaming deciding moves, like the "Supersonic Close Combat" and the "Raging Rapids Hydro Pump." So again, it's not entirely a Sonic reference.

Music:

Night In Sunyshore City - Luca (Final Fantasy X)

Palmer Arrives - Battle Tower Lobby (Pokémon DPPt)

Full Battle - Start! - Frontier Brain Battle (Pokémon PtHGSS)

Going Back and Forth - Castle of Tears (Nemesis Theory)

Cyndaquil's Stand - Cipher Peon Battle (Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness)

Evolution! - Stopping the Water (Pokémon Heroes)

The Last Battle - Poké Cup Finals (Pokémon Stadium 2)

Glory Blaze - Glory Crossing (Panic/Critical) (Blast Corps)

Rising Doubt - The Immolation Scene (Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith)


	26. Redemption and Awakening

A light layer of clouds drifted across the skies of Sinnoh, occasionally blocking out the sun as if the sky itself was concerned about what had transpired recently. Hareta's friends and family, excluding Palmer, who headed to Twinleaf Town to see his wife, had arrived at the Pokémon Center in Sandgem Town a little while ago expecting to find Hareta there, only to learn from Nurse Joy that he had already left.

"Really? Did he say where he was going?" Kotone asked. Nurse Joy replied, "Not really. He took his Pokémon once they were fully healed and left. He looked like he was really upset and sad about something, but I didn't want to press on and make him feel worse." Kotone nodded and walked over to where everyone was sitting, sitting down next to Gold.

As she sat down, Kaisei asked, "So? Does she know where Hareta went?" Kotone shook her head, "She says he was here, but he left after everyone was healed. It took them a little longer than usual due to some of the wounds, but they were back to normal health in no time. We must've just missed him." Gold suggested, "Maybe we should go see if we can catch up to him. Some of us can look one way and some of us can look another."

Jun put his arms against the back of his head and said, "Why bother? This is Hareta we're talking about. The kid who is down or knowledgeable for, like, five seconds before he suddenly bursts up happy again for almost no reason. Not to mention the idiot is always either running around or goofing off half the time. It'd be pretty pointless to even be concerned about him being overly upset about something." As he finished talking, he was suddenly punched on the back of the head, a big bump forming as he dropped out of his chair onto his knees, yelling in pain! Glancing behind where he'd been sitting, Gold saw Minami with her left arm in the air, her hand closed in a fist.

Getting up, Jun yelled, "WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR!" Minami huffed, "Because I'm sick of your attitude! '(imitating Jun) Oh, he lived in a forest most of his life. He knows how to take care of himself and deal with any problems.' You know Jun, you might be an okay rival for him, but you sure seem like a lousy friend!" Jun yelled at her, "What did you just say?" Minami replied, "I'm serious! These past two days, you've occasionally been supportive of him, but the rest of the time, you're either making fun of him or putting him down, usually to his face!" Jun said, "That's what it's like when you have a rival for a friend! You may be friendly towards each other, but that doesn't mean you can't be rough on each other either!"

Mitsumi stepped in between the two, pushing them apart with her hands, and said, "That's enough, both of you! You've got almost everyone in the Pokémon Center looking at us!" Both Jun and Minami glanced around and shut up as they realized that they did have quite a few eyes looking at them. As they settled back into their seats, Gold said, "Those arguments aside, I still think it would be a good idea to look for him. He's a wild kid and he can do some stuff that's not exactly what most people would call normal, but I've never heard anyone say that he was upset or sad about anything like the results of a battle until now. And that's reason enough for me to worry." Kotone had to agree with that; hearing that Hareta had looked sad and upset at all was definitely not normal for him.

Gold suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to see Johanna looking down at him. She smiled, "I can see that Hareta has made some wonderful friends in Johto. You're really concerned for him, aren't you, Gold?" The boy nodded, "I look up to him. Not literally, of course. I mean, he's a strong Trainer who cares for Pokémon and humans a lot; I really respect that. But I'm mainly worried because we've been friends for some time now. He's a good guy to hang around with and it's fun when he does anything out of the ordinary, even if one of us gets hurt."

Mitsumi asked, "You actually enjoy that stuff he does? All throughout the time I was traveling with him, it took a lot of tolerance for me to endure all the stuff he did. Would it be fun if you got sprayed by a Stunky because of him or if he peed on your bag when he was half-asleep?" Kotone sighed, "We're right back at this debate again..." She then looked at Mitsumi and said, "Mitsumi, obviously your feelings on the matter are going to be due to acting on the spur of the moment. It's no different for me or Gold. Sometimes we do stuff that he doesn't like that we didn't intend to do, but all three of us deal with it the same way by trying to make sure that we don't do it again in the future. We all make mistakes; it's a human thing. I know it's a cliché saying, but that's why pencils have erasers."

Flint spoke up, "Alright, look dudes and dudettes. I don't know about the rest of you, but I think we're losing sight of why this debate started in the first place. So can we twenty-three skidoo back to what Gold was saying and start over from there?" Kotone sweat dropped as she weakly smiled, "Yeah, I guess you're right, Flint. This really isn't where Gold intended the conversation to go." Gold looked at Johanna, who had sat down next to him, and asked, "Did you want to say something?" She replied, "Yes. I can understand your concern for Hareta. I myself wondered at times if he would be okay; I wasn't sure if Kaisei leaving Hareta with Professor Rowan so that he could travel was such a good idea, but things still worked out in the end. He accepted Kaisei and I as his parents once he remembered us. I suppose what I'm saying is that even if you're worried, you've got to keep your faith in Hareta. Give him some time and I'm sure he'll come to terms with whatever is troubling him." Gold looked at her for a moment, then smiled, "Okay, I'll take your word for it. After all, they say moms are always right." Johanna smiled back and nodded.

Flint stood up and said, "I'm glad we can all agree to trust in Hareta. So if nobody minds, I've got to get gone. My fellow elites are meeting with Cynthia about her search for the remains of an old temple that was apparently created hundreds of years ago by two groups of humans." Jun said, "Now THAT sounds exciting! After all, I love a good mystery! What were those two groups? Where'd they come from?" Flint replied, "From what I've heard from her, one group came from here in Sinnoh, while the other came from Johto. That's about all I've really paid attention to so far. Anyway, I've got to get going. Lucian said he'd be done reading his book by the time I joined up with them. Just for the heck of it, I wanna see if I can get there while he's still reading!"

Everyone stood in front of the Pokémon Center as Flint jumped into the passenger's seat of his car, put on his sunglasses, and shot everyone a wave before the driver drove away. Once he left their sight, Professor Rowan said, "I should get going myself. I've still got some work I need to take care of before I'm done for today." Kaisei asked, "Want me to let you know when Hareta turns up, professor?" Professor Rowan replied, "I'd like that, Kaisei. I do view him as my grandson in a way." Nodding at this, Kaisei turned to Gold and Kotone and asked, "As long as you two are here on a little vacation, how would you like to see Twinleaf Town? Lake Verity isn't that far from there and it's a nice relaxing town." Kotone nodded, "That sounds great! And we can go see Jun's mom and dad while we're there too!" At that, Jun's face grew a little pale.

Professor Rowan started walking back to his lab after saying goodbye to everyone while they all began to head for Twinleaf Town. Except for Jun, who was so unwilling to be smothered in affection by his mother in front of his friends that he had to be dragged to Twinleaf Town, kicking and screaming the whole way. As they walked, the clouds began to clear up as the sun shone in the bright blue sky.

**Meanwhile, on Iron Island**

The door of the lone cabin on Iron Island that was open for visitors to stay at opened, Hareta stepping out with a face full of uncertainty. After leaving Sandgem Town, he had walked aimlessly until he made it to Canalave City, where he caught the ferry to the island. Knowing the ship wouldn't be back for a while, he headed for the docks to get some privacy, leaving behind his backpack, which had all of his Pokémon inside. Unbeknownst to him, one of the Poké Balls wiggled out of one of the pockets, falling to the ground and opening in a shower of light.

Hareta walked to the edge of the wooden dock, taking a seat near the edge. He pulled his legs up to his chest, his arms wrapped around them and holding them close. He looked out across the water with a distant expression, not looking anywhere in particular. Although the cool breeze from the ocean cleared his mind somewhat, he still felt haunted. In his mind, he could still distinctly recall the full battle with Silver. He could still see his friends being badly injured by Silver's brutal battle style. Minun, Scyther, Grovyle, Misdreavus, Empoleon, and Quilava had all been hurt to the point that Nurse Joy had wrapped them in bandages to ensure that their wounds didn't reopen.

Tears began to fill his eyes again as he knew it was his fault for letting his friends get hurt as bad as they were. It wasn't because he didn't rely on power to win his battles or use dishonorable tactics to take down his opponents. The simple truth was that he was too reckless and he knew it; if he had been more careful during the battle, there surely would've been a more decisive outcome. But more importantly, his Pokémon wouldn't have had to go through such pain. With these thoughts, Hareta began to wonder if he even had the right to call himself a Trainer or show his face to his Pokémon.

Despite the haze he was in, he took note of the creaking of the dock, the sound of footsteps approaching him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Empoleon coming. The Emperor Pokémon had bandages on his wings and chest, covering up the spots where he had been hit by Ursaring's Thrash. One bandage wrapped around Empoleon's front and back, the bandage covering the spot where he had been slashed by Sneasel's Metal Claw.

Empoleon stopped a short distance away from Hareta and, after a moment, asked, "(Why are you out here all by yourself, Hareta?)" The boy looked back at the ocean and said, "I was doing something most people say I don't... Thinking." Empoleon came over to stand next to him, watching him out of the corner of his eye, and asked, "(Oh? Were you thinking about how to counter Silver's battle strategy now that we've seen for ourselves what that jerk is like in battle?)" Hareta sighed, "Not really. I was thinking about whether it's right..."

Empoleon looked directly down at him and asked, "(Whether what's right?)" Hareta said, "To continue being a Trainer. To continue traveling around and engaging in battles." Empoleon asked, "(Why wouldn't it be? All of us have enjoyed the thrill of a battle with you. We love being together with you.)" Hareta sighed, "But you don't enjoy being hurt in battle. And this battle is proof of that." Empoleon spoke, "(Okay, I'm not following you. What are you talking about?)" Hareta stood up and cried, "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about!" He stared down at his hands as he continued, "I could see that Silver was brutal in battle... I saw it after the way he knocked out Minun. And in spite of that, I still charged into the battle! I let myself get riled up at the chance for having fun against someone like him and look what it did to you and the others! You're in bandages because you got hurt so bad by his Pokémon, something I could've prevented! But I ignored my common sense and you guys have to pay the price..."

Empoleon had stepped back a bit to give him some room, but still stood close by. Hareta stared down at the dock as he said, "It's because of me that you and the others were hurt... I don't deserve to call myself a Trainer or a friend to Pokémon..." Silence descended over the two for several minutes before Empoleon said, "(Hareta... Look at me.)" Hareta asked, "W-what?" Empoleon repeated, "(Look at me. Look at my face.) Hareta slowly brought his head up until he was looking directly at Empoleon's face. Empoleon then came up to his front and said, "(What I'm about to do, I do as your best friend.)" He suddenly grabbed the collar of Hareta's jacket with his right wing and then slapped Hareta hard with the end of his left wing, being careful not to scratch him.

As Hareta rubbed his cheek, Empoleon placed his wings on his hips and asked, "(How could you even think that? After all we've been through together? One battle and it all goes out the window? What would Dad say if he knew? And not just him; what if everyone else knew?)" Hareta looked back at him, confused. Empoleon continued, "(To see you like this, to know someone got to you and made you lose your faith scares me, Hareta. What I'm hearing from you is that you can't trust yourself to do anything that you enjoy or believe in. And that ultimately leads to losing the will to live. I can't lose you, Hareta. Neither can anyone else who knows you. The damage you'd cause if you go on the way you are would be more severe than any battle wound. Believe me.)"

Clenching his wings, Empoleon finished, "(A year ago, I was a stubborn Piplup who let his pride get in the way of seeing someone's true colors. I didn't want to listen to you because you were so clueless about technology and it got me into a very uncomfortable position. But then you saved me from being crushed... You willingly let yourself get hurt to save me and went to stop that rampaging Onix yourself because you cared for your friends like family... It didn't take long for us to properly become friends, at which point you began to mean the world to me... You are, and always will be, one of the most caring humans I will ever meet. You make mistakes at times, but you learn from them. And I know that you don't want to become like Silver or guilt yourself the way Koya did when Growlithe was traumatized. I won't stand by and let you destroy yourself from within! I swear it!)" Hareta stood silently for a few moments, but tears soon began to fall from his eyes again as he whispered, "You win..."

Empoleon looked down at Hareta in surprise, asking, "(Hareta?)" Hareta fell, holding himself up on his hands and knees, sobbing, "I'm sorry... I... I don't know what came over me... You're right; I did let Silver and what he said get to me... It made me forget about everyone..." Empoleon came over and knelt down, wrapping his wings around Hareta whispering, "(Forgive me. I didn't mean to hurt you.)" Hareta wrapped his arms around Empoleon and said, "No, it's okay. Because you're right. I don't want to hurt any of you myself, especially not that way." They held each other for a few minutes in silence before Hareta added, "Still... I feel I should do something."

Empoleon asked, "(What?)" Hareta explained, "Any way you look at it, I've been very reckless and headstrong for a long time, and not just in battles either. I just think I should do something to, you know, get a little less reckless and headstrong." Empoleon let Hareta go and said, "(I'm sure there's something, if it's what you really want. If you're still secretly torn up...)" Hareta shook his head, "No. I want to do this. I know I do. And not because of Silver. I want to do this so I don't make a scene like I have before and so that I can become a better Trainer and person." Empoleon looked at Hareta a moment and soon smiled, seeing the truth in his eyes.

Suddenly, they both heard a voice calling out to them. Looking back at the other end of the docks, they saw a familiar figure wearing black shoes, brown trousers, a blue jacket covering a black shirt, a necklace with a patterned design, and a blue hat shaped like a Salamence's head. He had raven black hair and a trusty Lucario friend by his side. Recognizing him, Hareta spoke, "Riley?" He nodded as Hareta and Empoleon approached him, saying, when they stood in front of him, "I didn't expect to see you here, Hareta. Lucario and I heard something going on at the docks and came to see what was going on." Hareta replied, "I'll tell you what that was all about, but can I go get my backpack from the cabin? It'll take a minute." Riley nodded, letting Hareta and Empoleon pass him and watching them walk up the stairs to the cabin near the mine entrance.

Unbeknownst to anyone, they were being watched from the top of the island's rocky slopes by a group of Pokémon. The group consisted of a Sableye, a Mawile, and an Aggron. The Sableye gave a raspy whisper, "Those two humans there... Will they pose any threat to the master's plan?" The Mawile replied in an equally raspy tone, "No. They will surely serve to help spread fear the way the master wants it. But we cannot attack yet. Now that we know who is on the island, we must make sure to account for them."

**A little later, near the cabin**

"I see. So you're wondering if there's anything you can do to help you act a little more focused?" Riley asked. Hareta had just finished explaining what had happened earlier to him and had mentioned what he was looking to do. "Yeah. Do you know of anything I could try?" he asked. Riley brought a hand to his chin, "Maybe a few things to get you started, seeing as you're only going to be in Sinnoh for a few more days. Iron Island is a good place to get better acquainted with oneself, especially since Team Galactic is no more. I should know. While watching over what goes on in the abandoned mine, I pursue my training and studies here."

Hareta asked, "What kind of studies?" Riley reached into his blue jacket and pulled out a book of sorts. Looking it over, Hareta and Empoleon could see that it was quite old; the hard-bound cover was worn due to age and the sides of the pages seemed to be stained yellow. It had spiral-like indentations on the side and a reddish-orange bookmark sticking out between the pages. Hareta said, "Wow... How long have you had that book?" Riley replied, "I've had it most of my life, but it's been in my family for generations. I received it from my father, who received it from his father. According to both of them, it was originally a journal written by one of my ancestors. From what I've managed to decipher so far, she was an Aura user, which is what I'm training to be. It's written in an older language, one that's not really well-known today. But I'm learning it little by little, especially since what she has written in here has been extremely helpful to me."

Before Hareta could ask any more about this, he suddenly shivered, "Hey, is it just me or did it get a little colder all of a sudden?" Riley stood up from the rock he was sitting on and said, "It's not just you. I feel it too, and I don't think it's natural or was caused by any Pokémon." Riley put the journal back inside of his jacket as Hareta stood up, both them and their Pokémon looking around for the source of the cold air.

Suddenly, Riley saw something approach from the rocky cliffs and alerted everyone. As they watched the figures come closer, they were revealed to be the Aggron, Mawile, and Sableye that were watching theme earlier. As he watched them, Hareta thought, "_Something doesn't feel right here... All the Pokémon I've met before have had a certain feel about them, something I can feel even from a distance. I'm getting a completely different feel from these Pokémon..._" Hareta wasn't the only one who could feel something was wrong; Empoleon, Riley, and Lucario could feel it as well. The three Pokémon came down off the rocks, landing in front of the entrance to the mine, silence following as the two groups stared at each other.

All of a sudden, the Aggron spoke to them, surprising them by speaking in fluent English, "Infidels! You defile the land of our master with your presence!" Riley spoke, "I don't know who your master is, but this island belongs to no one except the Pokémon who live on it. Unless I know that the Pokémon are not pleased by our presence, we will not leave." The Mawile said, "Foolish human! This island and the rest of this ruined world belong to only our master! And he sees no need for humans or Pokémon to continue existing!" Sableye finished, "So all of you and the Pokémon on this island have two choices. Would you prefer a quick and painless death, or a long drawn-out one?" Hareta asked, "How can you want to kill the Pokémon? You're Pokémon too!"

The Sableye said, "The human makes a point; appearing as the filthy heathens does not suit us." The Mawile nodded, "This is the time for darkness." Suddenly, all three were engulfed by black smoke, which faded to reveal them to be freakish creatures of black, red, multicolored neon that looked nothing like the Pokémon they had appeared to be. The one that had been disguised as an Aggron said, "Your time is up. So that means you will have a very painful death." Suddenly, four monsters, two appearing to be large bees and two appearing to be large bats, grabbed the four from behind and carried them towards up towards Iron Island's center, dropping them in a large flat area on top of the island in its center.

As they stood up, they saw that they were surrounded on all sides by more of the creatures, seeing many different forms, though they all bore the same colors. Pressing their backs against each other, Riley asked, "Hareta, do you have the rest of your Pokémon with you?" Hareta replied, "Yeah, they're in my backpack. Do you have an idea?" Riley said, "If we're going to get out of here, we'll have to fight our way out. We should try to get to the mine if we can; it's too dangerous here." Lucario said, "(I agree. If need be, you two may need to fight as well.)" Both Hareta and Riley nodded as they sent out their Pokémon, several of Hareta's appearing while Riley's Absol, Salamence, Metagross, and Ursaring appeared as well. At this, one of the creatures spoke, "Do you believe you can escape your judgment? How foolish!" The creatures then began to charge towards them!

Riley called, "Quickly! We need to thin them out!" Both Riley and Hareta's Lucario went first, Riley's launching an Aura Sphere in one direction while Hareta's fired a Dragon Pulse in the opposite direction. After this, Empoleon used Hydro Pump, knocking down a line of the creatures like dominoes, while Regigigas, Quilava, Grovyle, Minun, Luxray, and Onix attacked with Superpower, Flamethrower, Energy Ball, Thunder, and Dragonbreath. Riley's Salamence, Absol, and Ursaring attacked with Hyper Beam, Razor Wind, and Focus Blast, all of the attacks creating explosions that scattered the creatures. Although only a few were defeated, the attacks had thrown them off and left them disoriented. Taking advantage of this, everyone began to run in the direction of the docks and mine.

As they ran, the Pokémon used their moves to push through the lines, such as Regigigas using Mega Punch to send large groups flying and Metagross using Confusion to throw the creatures back. The other Pokémon used their moves to defend as well, with Hareta and Riley throwing out punches and kicks of their own whenever they were approached. Although they did knock out a quite a couple and make them break down into black clouds, the creatures still got a few attacks in, mostly on Hareta and Riley.

Still, they pressed forward as best they could with their Pokémon, but were still a fair distance away from the edge of the rocky clearing when a pair of creatures that looked like small blobs with facial features tried to ram into Grovyle from behind. Hareta saw them coming out of the corner of his eye and wheeled around, slamming his fist into one of them. He missed the other one, however, and it slammed into him, knocking the wind out of him, and forcing him to stop, prompting the others to stop as well. Before anyone could do anything, a larger creature with a pronounced horn on its head slammed its arm into his chest and then punched him in an uppercut, sending Hareta flying into the air on a diagonal angle. As he flew through the air, one of the large bees was waiting to impale the boy on its stinger. Riley and the Pokémon could only watch helplessly as Hareta flew towards his doom.

Dazed as he was, Hareta briefly saw that he was headed for the stinger. In his head, he cried, "_No! Why is this happening? If they're attacking us here, does that mean that they're going to do this to the rest of the world? What gives them that right? Just because humans and Pokémon aren't like them, they think they're so superior?_" A deep energy began to fill Hareta's body; it felt warm, soothing. As it began to spread, Hareta thoughts became clear, "_They're going to do this to the rest of the world... Their master truly believes that humans and Pokémon don't deserve to live... That's about as low as anyone can go. I won't let that happen. I won't let my friends die here. I'LL DESTROY THEM ALL!"_

Hareta stopped in midair, just as he was about to be impaled upon the stinger, a bright blue flame suddenly surrounding him as the boy suddenly moved away from the stinger, getting above the creature and slamming down on top of it, smashing it into the ground and creating a small crater as he landed! The blue flame burned brightly around Hareta as he stood still in the crater, all the other creatures staring at him, motionless at this development, while Riley and the Pokémon looked on in shock. As his jacket waved in the wind, Hareta opened his eyes, which were now glowing the same blue color as the flame surrounding him, the wounds that the creatures had inflicted on him rapidly closing. Without warning, he suddenly dashed forward and slammed into the group of creatures in front of his friends, hitting them hard enough to send them flying, their bodies dissipating upon hitting the ground.

As his friends stared at his back, the flame surrounding him seemed to reassure them, despite the fact that they were still in awe at what they were seeing. As Hareta stared at the rest of the creatures that were in a group in the center of the clearing, including the bee-like monsters, he suddenly reached his right arm out, the palm facing his friends. As he held it there, all of their wounds suddenly healed completely! As Riley saw this, he thought, "_I remember seeing something like this in the journal... How she witnessed someone close to her displaying similar capabilities... But how is Hareta doing this? I sensed he had a strong aura when we met before, but he didn't seem capable of something like this..._"

Hareta suddenly took off again, running for the remaining creatures. He dashed headfirst into the ones that charged him, knocking them upwards. As they flailed in the air, Hareta disappeared and began to attack them, appearing as a blurred image before reappearing and blasting them all with an Aura Sphere! Landing, he ran towards the rest, holding out his left arm and firing multiple Aura Spheres, blowing them all away! He continued like this, running and launching waves of Aura and physically overpowering them.

As he neared the last group, a couple of large creatures, some holding oversized wooden clubs, they readied themselves to stop him for good. Just as he was about to get in their range, he skidded to a stop and began to run in a circle around them, the blue flame surrounding him beginning to be seen on the ground after running around them a few times. He soon skidded to a stop just outside of the circle he had been running in, the monsters taking advantage of this and raising their clubs or fists into the air to smash him into the ground. Before they could swing, Hareta held out his right arm and a massive wave of blue aura suddenly shot out of the ground he had encircled, breaking them down into molecules!

Seeing that the all of the creatures had been destroyed, Hareta began to calm down, falling over as exhaustion began to take its toll on him. He held himself up on his knees and left hand, his right hand covering his face while his hat fell on the ground. Riley and the Pokémon hurried over to him, Riley asking when he got near him, "Hareta, are okay? Do you feel alright?" The boy replied, "Don't worry, Riley. I feel fine. In fact..." He lowered his hand and looked up at Riley, who was surprised to see that his eyes had changed from their slightly dark green color to a dark brown with a tinge of the original green to them, making them look greenish-brown.

"...I've never felt better!" Hareta finished.

* * *

The scene where Hareta's Aura comes out was inspired by the episode "The Great Doomship Offensive" from Super Mario Brothers Z, specifically the "Fire in the Hanger" scene. So if it seems similar, that's why.

Music:

Concern for Hareta - Midna's Lament (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)

Chat Between Friends - You're Not Alone! (Final Fantasy IX)

Judgement - Citadark Island (Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness)

A Guardian Awakened - Crisis City - The Flame (Sonic the Hedgehog (2006))


	27. A Fancy Return to Form

Hareta stood up after picking up his hat and looked up at Riley, confused by the look on his face. "What? What's the matter?" he asked. He then looked around and asked, "And what happened to all of those monsters that came after us?" Riley asked, "Don't you remember? You just defeated all of them yourself." Hareta tilted his head to one side and asked, "I did?"

Hareta's Lucario asked, "(You honestly don't recall doing that?)" Hareta shook his head and said, "The last thing I remember is flying through the air, about to get impaled, when I felt something surge through my body. I don't remember defeating the monsters." Riley said, "That energy you felt must be the reason why your eyes have changed colors." Hareta asked, "What do you mean my eyes changed colors?" Grovyle said, "(Your eyes… They were a dark green before, but now they're brown with green mixed in!)" Empoleon used an Ice Beam, freezing a patch of rock and creating a reflective surface for Hareta to look at himself in. He was surprised to see that his eyes had indeed changed colors.

Hareta looked at himself, asking, "But… What does this mean? Is there something wrong with me?" Riley said, "I don't think so. I remember reading about something like this in the journal. It mentions something about training and practicing Aura abilities similar to what you just exhibited with someone. It could be that you're capable of being able to master such techniques yourself." Hareta asked, "Does it mention seeing anything similar to what you just saw?" Riley nodded, "I believe so. Keep in mind that I'm still deciphering the journal, but I recall seeing something about an uncontrolled use of Aura. Something about awakening the Aura within, I believe…"

Riley's Lucario tugged at his arm to get his attention, pointing to what looked like a cave in the rock at the edge of the clearing. Having never been on this part of the island, Riley said, "Hmm… That looks like it might go a ways into the rock. Do you feel well enough to come with, Hareta?" The boy nodded and began to follow Riley and his Lucario, his Pokémon following behind him after he returned Regigigas and Onix to their Poké Balls.

They walked into the cave, keeping a careful eye out for anything that could spring out to attack them. Eventually, they came to the end of the cave, which emptied into a large circular chamber. They all spread out to look around, searching to see if there was anything there. All of a sudden, Luxray called out to everyone, having found something interesting in his corner of the room.

As everyone approached, they saw the object that had attracted Luxray's attention. The object, which was sticking out of the ground, seemed to be covered by some sort of brown casing. It looked like it could be tree bark, however it was much firmer than that. In the light created by Quilava, it almost appeared to be a sword with a long and narrow blade, but it was hard to tell with the mysterious brown casing around it.

Hareta looked at the object, "Wonder what this is?" Riley brought a hand to his chin, "That's a good question. I'm not sure what this brown is, but if I were to guess, it's some kind of protective cocoon. It could be surrounding whatever this object is to protect it." After looking at it for a few more moments, Riley walked over to it and grabbed it by its "hilt." Sensing that there was no danger nearby, he removed it and slung it over his shoulder. Hareta asked, "Is it okay to take it?" Riley nodded, "I believe it will be fine. Something tells me that it may have been left here a long time ago. I'd like to study it and see if I can find out what it is." With that, Hareta, Riley, and their Pokémon left the cave.

Back outside, Riley glanced around the field and said, "I believe this will do quite nicely." Hareta turned to him and asked, "What do you mean?" Riley explained, "I believe that you should attempt to master control over your own Aura, Hareta. From what I've read so far in the journal, there appear to be two forms of training one's own Aura. The way that I have been studying is very similar to the way one might study to be a spellcaster. I learn to sense Aura and I can control it to either be used offensively or defensively. The other way is similar to what we witnessed you do earlier. While you can control your Aura similarly, your main use of it is in battle. You use it to stop your enemies and help others in ways that are different from the way I am learning to use it. To that end, I would like to teach you how to use it."

Hareta exclaimed, "What? But… You don't know for sure that that's what that was, right? It could have been something bad! And the fact that I can't remember using it means I wasn't in control of myself!" Riley spoke, "Hareta, ever since I met you, I've sensed that you have a very strong Aura about you. It's not the sort of Aura you would find in just anyone. I am sure that it is no coincidence that you have such an Aura and you were able to demonstrate such moves. And as for control, I am sure you were not such a good Pokémon Trainer when you were just starting out, correct?" Hareta nodded, "Yeah. I didn't start out so good. I made a lot of mistakes at first, but I got better as time went on."

Riley said, "That very same principle applies here. You cannot expect to master something so easily. You must learn how to become good with it over time. As for control, even if you were not in control, you still knew who the enemy was and even healed your friends. Even though it was your first time, you still displayed commendable actions." He smiled, "I have little doubt that, given the proper training, you will remain in complete control of yourself and be able to harness the abilities you displayed today in the future. And I am quite sure you will become much calmer and more focused through this training, just as you originally came to ask for my help with."

Hearing this from Riley, Hareta sighed, "Alright. I'll take your word for it. But… I don't actually know anything about summoning or anything like that." Riley nodded, "And I don't expect you to. You return to Johto in four days, correct?" At Hareta's nod, Riley continued, "So we shall devote the rest of today and the next two days to your training. On the third day, we will return to the mainland, where we will attempt to find a challenge to show what you've learned in keeping your focus." Hareta said, "Okay. So what are going to do? Is this going to be kind of like the last time I trained when you were with me?"

Riley led Hareta over to some small rocks, sitting on one while the boy sat on the other, and explained, "It will be something like that. Granted, we will be attempting to help you control your Aura, but that's not all that's going to happen. Considering that you came out of a slump of sorts, you will also be doing some training with your Pokémon to ensure your confidence in yourself as a Trainer is still strong. We'll work on some of the basics of Aura, rest a bit, and then devote some time to training with your Pokémon." Hareta nodded, "You're right. It would be good to make sure I can still be a Trainer before I go back to Johto."

Riley stood up, "We'll use this field for your Aura training, the mine for Pokémon training, and we can stay in the cabin for the night. Byron normally uses it while he's here, but since he's visiting Roark, he said it would be alright if I used it. If need be, we can simply camp out near the docks. I keep a tent with me for that purpose." Hareta stood up and breathed a bit, saying, "Okay. I know I can do this. Do we start now?" Riley smiled, "Whenever you're ready, we can begin." Hareta said, "Then let's get started now!"

Over the next few days, Hareta trained with his Pokémon in the mine and began to understand the basics of Aura under Riley's tutoring. Although it was small, the change in Hareta's nature began to become apparent. He was beginning to become calmer little by little as he learned more about the nature of Aura. As for his Pokémon training, Riley had arranged a set course for Hareta to follow in the mine that put him in the way of Pokémon that would test him to make sure he was learning to be careful during battle. During these segments, Riley would go through the journal to search for information on the object they had found. On the morning of the third day, the teacher and student left the island on the back of Riley's Salamence, Riley carrying the mysterious object in a duffel bag on his back.

**Later, in Hearthome City**

Mitsumi, Jun, Gold, Pikachu, the Spiky-Eared Pichu, Kotone, Cubone, Ralts, Minami, the ukulele Pichu, Kaisei, and Johanna exited the Pokémon Center, heading for the Contest Hall. Mitsumi suggested going to a Pokémon Super Contest for Gold and Kotone's final day in Sinnoh. According to a poster in the Center, there was going to be a different type of contest today, saying that there would be an appeals round followed by a battle round instead of the usual dress-up, dancing, and appeals that were done in the Sinnoh contests.

As they stood in front of the Contest Hall, Gold said, "I wonder what Hareta's been up to these past couple of days. We haven't heard anything about him." Jun said, "Ah, I'm sure he's fine. Even when he gets himself in trouble, he always ends up getting out of it somehow. Amazing what having a hard head can do." Kotone commented, "Better than having a raw head like you. I can't even count how many times Mitsumi has punched you on the head." Jun yelled at her, "Hey, those were all flukes! Not today, though! I've won in a couple other battling events these past couple of months, and today I'm gonna win this contest! Mitsumi's knight in shining armor will prevail!" Mitsumi rolled her eyes at this, saying, "Can we just go in and enter the contest? It's going to be starting soon."

During this whole exchange, nobody took notice of a familiar balloon coming towards them. It was patched up all over, likely to prevent air from escaping after considerable damage had been done to it. Before the group could walk inside the Contest Hall, four mechanical arms suddenly popped out from beneath the basket and shot towards them, grabbing Pikachu, the Spiky-Eared Pichu, Cubone, and Ralts! Everyone turned around in surprise, Kaisei exclaiming, "What the heck? Who's doing that?"

The sound of laughter rang out as Jessie, James, and Meowth appeared in the basket of the balloon. Jessie called, "Didn't your mothers teach you not to leave your things out where other people can take them?" James added, "If you leave them lying around like that, then it's fair game for anyone who wants to take them!" Meowth grinned, "So dat means it's fine for us to take dem from careless kids!" Kaisei glanced up at the trio, then turned to Gold and Kotone asking, "Who are the weirdoes with the talking Meowth?"

Jessie and James fell over at that, Jessie getting up and yelling, "Are you brain-dead, you little brat? We're the new and improved Team Rocket!" James looked down at Kaisei, who was being told by Gold who the trio was, and said, "Uh, Jess? That guy is too old to be the little brat. Although he does look remarkably similar, aside from the facial hair and the ponytail…" Meowth suggested, "Hey, maybe he's da little brat's daddy!" Jessie yelled at both of them, "Who cares who he is? He dared to mock the glorious name of Team Rocket!" Both James and Meowth cowered at Jessie's rage.

Once Kaisei and Johanna were told about the trio, Kotone turned to them and called, "Look, give it up you guys! Just give us our back our Pokémon now!" Minami added, "You will give them back or else!" Jessie mocked, "Oh, like I'm going to take orders from some half-pint Ranger! You're not the police, so I'm not afraid of you!" James turned to Meowth, "Get us out of here before they try to make any attempts to get them back!" Meowth replied, "One escape comin' up!"

Before they could attempt to escape, light blue 'S' shaped disks and a large fireball went flying towards the cables that were holding the arms. The disks cut through the cables holding Pikachu and Pichu, while the fireball smashed through the cables holding Cubone and Ralts! The Pokémon fell towards the street below, being caught by their respective Trainers while Jessie, James and Meowth screamed in shock.

Turning to look where the attacks had come from, they saw Hareta and Riley coming towards them, along with a Golem, a Crobat that was a little bigger than a regular Crobat, and Riley's Salamence. As they got close, Jessie yelled, "What do you two think you're doing!" Riley called up to the trio, "Pokémon thieves aren't welcome anywhere in Sinnoh. You should leave now or give yourselves up to the police." Jessie growled, "And YOU should think twice before you threaten us!" After saying that, she sent out her Seviper while James called out his Carnivine, who bit him upon appearing.

Jessie commanded Seviper to use Poison Fang on Pikachu, Gold retaliating by calling for a Quick Attack. Pikachu shot underneath Seviper, avoiding the fangs and grabbing onto Seviper's tail, throwing it afterwards. Kotone jumped in by calling for a Bonemerang from Cubone and a Psychic attack from Ralts, Cubone's bone flying at Seviper even faster than usual due to the two light blue beams that Ralts fired from its eyes. It collided with the aerial Seviper and sent it flying right into Jessie's face while Cubone's bone came flying back to its owner. Seeing Seviper hit Jessie, Minami whistled, "Wow, right on the sweet spot."

James called for Carnivine to use Bullet Seed on Hareta and Riley's Pokémon, the Bug Catcher Pokémon launching glowing seeds from its maw. Hareta countered by calling for Stone Edge, two blue glowing rings appearing around Golem that turned white and formed into stone chunks that circled Golem and deflected the Bullet Seed before being launched at Carnivine, sending it flying back up to the balloon. Once it was back on James' head, Riley called for his Salamence to use DragonBreath again, Salamence launching another large fireball from its mouth, this time aimed at the balloon itself. As soon as it hit, there was an explosion that sent Jessie, James, and Meowth flying in the direction of Amity Square as they yelled, "NOT AGAIN!"

The trio flew over the trees that separated Amity Square from the rest of Hearthome City, eventually crash-landing in one of the rocky huts. As they attempted to get out of the pile they had landed in, Jessie growled, "Get off of me, you two heavyweights! That Pokémon Contest is going to be starting soon, and I swore that I would enter, whether or not we were successful in stealing something!" It took them a while to get out of the pile, as they didn't have a lot of room to work with and each was struggling to get out first.

**A little later, at the Contest Hall**

After some introductions and explanations were made, everyone headed into the Contest Hall. Both Gold and Kotone thought that there was a bit of a change in Hareta, physically and attitude-wise, though Mitsumi and Jun didn't seem to take notice while Kaisei and Johanna could tell something changed, but felt it was better left unspoken. Inside, they encountered the Hearthome City Gym Leader, Fantina, who was entering the contest jut like Hareta, Jun, Mitsumi, and Johanna.

After everyone had chosen what Pokémon they would be using and signed up to compete, Gold, Kotone, Minami, Kaisei, and Riley headed for the stands to find seats before the good ones were taken, some of Hareta's Pokémon going with them, while Mitsumi, Jun, and Johanna headed into the back to change into more formal outfits. Hareta and Fantina lingered in the lobby for a minute longer, Hareta apologizing to Fantina for the choice of words he used after their first meeting, which surprised Fantina. Still, she told him it was alright, that she wasn't worried about it anymore, and they followed after everyone into the back.

After they left, Jessie entered wearing a large purplish-pink dress as well as light brown boots and yellow and orange glasses. She had her hair tied up in pigtails and entered under the name Jessilina. While she was doing so, James and Meowth headed for the stands, sitting up near the door in case they needed to make a break for it.

A little later, the contest was about to begin as all the participating Coordinators were brought out onto the main stage. Except for Fantina, everyone had changed their outfits; Mitsumi wore a pair of black ballet flats and a pink dress with long sleeves and a pair of ribbons tied to the waist, Jun wore a white tuxedo with black dress shoes and a long tie, Hareta wore the black tuxedo and dress shoes provided for him by Professor Rowan (though he refused to have his hair combed this time), and Johanna wore a green gown with a long ribbon tied to the back. Some of the other entrants included a Pokémon nurse named Casey and a boy named Luis who had a Pikachu named Sparky.

In the crowd, Riley, Kaisei, Minami, Kotone, and Gold had managed to squeeze past all the people that had come to watch the contest and found seats in the front row. As he watched the contest, Riley kept an eye on the duffel bag that was right next to his seat. Minami had asked about it while they were waiting for the contest to begin, Riley telling her that it was something he was looking into. As they settled into their seats to watch, a familiar blonde-haired boy stood in the entrance to the stands, watching from a distance with his Growlithe.

The appeals round passed quickly, everyone putting on their best so that they could advance to the second round. Johanna had decided to give Jumpy a break and entered with her Umbreon instead, creating a show involving Attract, Shadow Ball, and Quick Attack. Fantina entered with her Drifblim, Loony, making an amazing appeal as was usual for her. Mitsumi entered with Dusknoir, making good use of its Ghost-type abilities and elemental punches to create an appeal that came close to rivaling both Johanna and Fantina's performances.

Hareta came on after Mitsumi, calling out Quilava. He used Swift, Ember, and Fire Spin for his appeal, creating a fireworks display in the end. Jun came on next, entering with Staraptor. He had Staraptor use a variety of aerial tricks to showcase its grace, in addition to several moves to even the performance out. Jessie was the last to perform, which made her believe that she was guaranteed victory, saying that the best always comes last. Her Yanmega was set on proving this as well, using moves like AncientPower and Silver Wind to dazzle the audience.

As they waited for the judges to announce who was going to the second round, everyone met up in the waiting room for the Coordinators. While Kaisei talked with Johanna and Jun continued to unsuccessfully flirt with Mitsumi, Hareta's Pokémon, Riley, Gold, Kotone, and Minami came over to the bench he was sitting on. Minami sat down next to him and said, "You did great out there, Hareta. You're gonna make it to the second round for sure!" Grovyle spoke, "(Yeah, boss. You and Quilava looked great out there. Think you two can keep it up in round 2?)" Quilava replied, "(You bet! We can only go to the top from here!)" While Quilava and Grovyle chatted with Minun, Misdreavus, Empoleon, and Luxray, Riley looked at Hareta and said, "It's quite apparent that you learned everything well, Hareta. Keep it up in the second round and, win or lose, you'll pass for sure."

Gold looked at Hareta and asked, "What does he mean by that?" Hareta replied, "It's nothing. Just something we talked about after we made a discovery." Kotone asked, "Oh? Is this discovery the thing that you have in that duffel bag, Riley?" The man shrugged, "It is. But as I said, I'm still trying to find out what it is. Just remember, we're trying to stay focused on the second round here." Minami nodded, "Of course. And Hareta's going to do great!" She placed an arm around Hareta's shoulder to show her support for him, which caused both Misdreavus and Quilava to give her slight glares that she didn't notice. Mitsumi also noticed this out of the corner of her eye, her eyes narrowing a bit.

Suddenly, on the nearby TV screen, the male announcer for the contest said, "Okay all you contest fans, this is it! Our well-known judges, Jordan, Dexter, and Keira, have made their final decision on who will be advancing to the next round!" At that, everyone drifted a little closer to the TV to see and listen clearly. The announcer continued, "In the second round, the eight Coordinators who are chosen will battle each other in five minute tournament-style matches to determine a winner! Besides defeating the other Pokémon, battles will be won if all of one Coordinator's points are depleted or time runs out and one Coordinator has more points! And now, here are the lucky eight!" At that, all eight images appeared, everyone seeing the faces of Fantina, Johanna, Mitsumi, Jessie, Hareta, Luis, Jun, and a Coordinator named Haruka in that order.

As they stared up at the screen, Jun said, "Well Hareta, looks like you've gotten lucky as usual if you managed to get farther up in the ranks than me." Hareta glanced at him, Jun saying, "You usually seem to get by with unexpected tricks, so I guess it's really no shock either. We'll just have to see if you can still battle the right way." Minami spoke, "Aren't we overconfident, Jun? Keep that up and you'll get eliminated before you even get a chance to do anything." Mitsumi added, "That's right. Let's not forget that while Hareta did a lot of silly mistakes during his first time in a Contest, your blunders were worse because they weren't even funny." Jun turned his nose up, "So? I was just starting out then. I've been a Trainer for a year now, and this is a different contest. We'll just have to see who can go all the way."

After everyone had been randomly paired up on the grid, the battle round of the contest began. Hareta faced off against Jessie for the first battle, Jessie getting more and more overconfident as the battle went on and eventually losing. Jun's battle was immediately afterward, his Staraptor managing to beat Luis' Pikachu despite the type disadvantage. Mitsumi went up against Haruka for the third battle, her Dusknoir facing off against the blonde's Mightyena. The battle was closely fought, but Dusknoir won in the end due to its variety of moves. Finally, Johanna and Fantina battled each other, Fantina's Loony and Johanna's Umbreon fiercely battling each other. Johanna managed to win when the clock ran out, as she had a few more points than Fantina. Fantina congratulated her afterwards and said she would be watching the rest of the contest.

For the second round, Hareta and Jun faced off against each other in what came down to a typical battle between rivals. Both Quilava and Staraptor continued to exchange one blow after another, neither ever gaining a clear advantage over the other. The clock eventually ran out on the battle, Hareta wining by barely half a point. Jun wished Hareta luck for the final round and said he hoped that Hareta would be able to win the whole thing. For the second battle, Mitsumi and Johanna battled each other. Like with the Mightyena from the previous round, Umbreon was eventually defeated due to the moves Mitsumi had taught Dusknoir. Johanna thanked her for the good battle and said that she would be cheering for both her and Hareta in the final round.

Before the final round began, the announcer spoke, "We're coming down to the end, folks! Get ready for the final battle of this Pokémon Super Contest! Our two contenders are Mitsumi, a well-known face in the world of contests, and Hareta, a well-known Trainer who's looking to make up for what happened during his first contest!" Both Hareta and Mitsumi faced each other, readying themselves for battle. So far, their only battle was back at the Team Galactic HQ when Cyrus was in command of the team, back when Cyrus held her Eevee captive to force her to return as Team Galactic's Ultimate Fighting Machine to destroy Hareta, a plan thought up by Charon. Now they were finally getting the chance to have an official battle without anyone ordering either of them around. Everyone who knew them in the stands and waiting room watched attentively, not wanting to miss a single moment.

The announcer signaled for the battle to begin, the clock starting the five minute time limit. At that, both Hareta and Mitsumi sent out their Pokémon, Quilava and Dusknoir appearing with a cry. Mitsumi led the battle off by calling for a Shadow Punch, Dusknoir's right hand becoming outlined in a gray aura before punching the air and sending a large black fist outlined in gray towards Quilava. Knowing there was no avoiding it, Hareta called for a Flame Wheel, Quilava curling into a spinning fireball that slammed into the fist, both pushing against each other before the Shadow Punch won out and sent Quilava flying back.

Quilava quickly recovered, landing on her paws, and Hareta called for a Flamethrower. Quilava's back flames shot out as she sent a stream of fire towards Dusknoir. Mitsumi retaliated by calling for a Psychic attack, Dusknoir's eye glowing blue as it took command of the flames. The Flamethrower took on the form of a Chinese dragon that turned around and went flying towards Quilava. Hareta retaliated by calling for a Focus Punch, Quilava's right fist glowing for several seconds before she threw it at the fire dragon, breaking it into a flurry of orange sparkles just before it could hit.

Mitsumi took advantage of Quilava being in the air and commanded Dusknoir to use Gravity, the gravity around Quilava suddenly increasing and causing her to hit the ground hard. Almost immediately after she hit the ground, Quilava was suddenly lifted up as Mitsumi called for another Psychic attack, Dusknoir using its powers to defy the change in gravity it had created. Quilava struggled to break loose, unable to escape Dusknoir's Psychic hold.

In the stands, Riley said, "This isn't good. Being held that way, there's no way for Quilava to defend from any attacks." Minami yelled, "Hang in there, Hareta! Don't give up now!" Kaisei added, "Focus on the situation! Use your feelings and emotions to your advantage!" Down on the stage, Hareta noticed that the clock was quickly running out and thought, "_The only attacks Quilava can do now are long-range attacks, and Mitsumi will just turn them back around with Psychic… Maybe…_"

Mitsumi called to Hareta, "Even though this isn't a serious fight, you should've expected something like this to happen, Hareta! I'm putting an end to this battle now! Dusknoir, use ThunderPunch!" At this, Dusknoir brought its right fist back and charged it with electricity while keeping Quilava held in the air. It then leapt towards Quilava, its fist held back to gather energy. Gold exclaimed, "Hareta has to do something! Quilava can't keep standing if that ends up being a critical hit!" Kotone said, "Just keep watching, Gold! He probably has something planned!"

Hareta called, "Quilava, use Flamethrower!" Mitsumi called, "Forget it, Hareta! Dusknoir, you know what to do!" The Ghost-type nodded, ready to take hold of the attack and turn it around. Mitsumi called to Hareta, "Psychic is just going to turn it around, just like the first one!" Hareta called back, "Yeah, I know! Just what I want you to do!" As Mitsumi stared in shock, Hareta called, "Quilava, aim Flamethrower towards the sky!"

As commanded, Quilava's face pointed up as she used Flamethrower. Dusknoir's Psychic instantly took hold of the attack, but due to the way it was being used, its hold did not turn the attack back and instead caused embers to rain down on the field as if the Flamethrower was a fountain. Dusknoir immediately halted in midair, the electricity in its fist breaking up as it tried to shield itself from the falling embers. The announcer exclaimed, "What an unexpected change in strategy! Quilava is taking advantage of Dusknoir's Psychic to reflect Flamethrower back at it!"

As Dusknoir struggled to try to break through the embers, up in the stands, Kotone said, "Yeah, now that's a great comeback!" Minami nodded, "I knew Hareta would be able to turn it around!" Kaisei stated, "Neither of them may know it right now, but Hareta has already won this battle." Everyone except Riley looked at him, Gold asking, "You sure about that?" Riley nodded, "He's right. Right now, Hareta is a few steps ahead of Mitsumi as far as strategy. He knows Mitsumi is going to counter all of Quilava's long-range attacks with Psychic. Even if they aim for the sky, there's still an effect, but not the one that Mitsumi intended. At this point, all Dusknoir can do is continue the Psychic and soon, it'll get knocked out by those embers." Luxray looked back at the stage and said, "(Yeah, that's our Hareta alright!)" Grovyle added, "(Way to go, boss. Way to go.)"

All of a sudden, Dusknoir's eye stopped glowing, causing both it and Quilava to start falling towards the ground! Mitsumi called to Dusknoir, unable to help it directly, but it didn't respond to her call. Seeing this, Hareta called, "Quilava, grab Dusknoir now!" Quilava's eyes shot open at this and she used her flames to get close enough to Dusknoir to grab it with her front paws. Once they were wrapped around Dusknoir, she looked towards the ground and used Flamethrower, both Hareta and Mitsumi moving off to the sides to avoid the spread of the flames. As the two got closer to the ground, the attack slowed their fall and Quilava stopped using the attack before they touched the ground, Dusknoir flopping out of her arms and into a sitting position on the stage.

After this, the clock ran out, the announcer calling, "And that's the time limit! A perfect use of Flamethrower with Hareta and Quilava saving their opponent right at the end! Our clear winners, Quilava and Hareta!" Hareta cheered and ran over to Quilava, wrapping his arms around her as he thanked her, Quilava blushing as she returned the hug. Mitsumi hurried over to her Dusknoir, checking to make sure it was okay and being very relieved to see that it was. Afterwards, she congratulated Hareta and Quilava and thanked them for a great battle. Both Hareta and Mitsumi then shook hands, Quilava and Dusknoir nodding to each other.

In the back, Jun, Johanna, and Fantina had been watching the whole battle at one of the tables. Seeing the final action Quilava had done, Jun said, "Heh, that was an awesome thing to do. Some opponents would've taken advantage of Dusknoir being helpless like that and attacked it." Johanna said, "Not my Hareta, though. He wouldn't have thought of doing that and he still won." Fantina nodded, "I'm sure he would've done it whether he won or lost. I have no doubt about that. Simply magnifique!"

All the judges agreed that Hareta had performed admirably in the battle, especially at the end. As Dexter awarded him and Quilava the Effort Ribbon for winning the contest, Hareta apologized for accidentally hitting him the last time, the judge just smiling and saying that as long as Hareta worked towards getting better, it was no concern, especially after what he had just seen. Hareta thanked him and gave Quilava the ribbon to wear, the crowd roaring with applause all the while.

A little later, everyone found Hareta on a bench in Amity Square, still wearing his tuxedo as he watched his Pokémon relax. As he noticed everyone had switched back to their regular clothes, Hareta remembered that he was still wearing his tuxedo and stood up, beginning to take it off. Seeing this, Mitsumi groaned, "Oh Hareta! Not… Again?" Mitsumi stopped short, realizing that Hareta was wearing his normal clothes under the tuxedo instead of just having his shorts on like last time. As he pulled his hat out of his jacket and put it on, he shrugged, "It was kinda cool this morning. I dressed in layers." Johanna smiled, "That's my boy!"

Kaisei came over carrying a bag of popcorn and a bowl full of popcorn. He said, "You did great out there, son! I thought I'd get you some popcorn for you to snack on!" Hareta thanked his dad and began to munch on the popcorn as he looked at Quilava's ribbon while everyone else began to relax as well, some of them letting out their Pokémon as well. Riley leaned against the bench, saying, "That was indeed an impressive performance out there, Hareta. You passed the final test with flying colors." Hareta smiled, "Thanks, Riley! Or should I call you 'master' now?" The two had a little laugh at that.

Jun chuckled as he stood near Hareta, "I wasn't sure if, even with a battle round, you'd have a chance of winning, considering what happened last time." Hareta smiled as he recalled his first contest and lack of knowledge, "Yeah. The first round, I didn't know anything about accessories." Jun grinned, "Yeah, and the crowd didn't like the accessories I put on Staravia." Hareta continued, "Then in the dance round, I danced along with Piplup; that earned us a few laughs while everyone was just laughing at Staravia's dancing." Jun chuckled, "Yeah, we've had quite a few tricks since then, huh?"

Hareta stood up and said, "Know something, Jun? I did have one more trick I wanted to show you as thanks for the stuff you said to me at the Contest Hall." Jun looked at him and grinned, "No kidding. What is it?" Hareta grinned back, "Oh-ho, yeah!" While he was saying this, he slowly reached for the bowl of popcorn on the bench and, picking it up, jerked it in Jun's direction, sending the popcorn flying at him! After he was sprayed with the popcorn and it began to fall to the ground, Jun began to sputter as he looked at Hareta, suddenly bursting out laughing. Everyone soon joined in at this, seeing as Hareta meant to have fun. It was good to have him back to normal again.

* * *

Been a little while since I last updated this one. Hope you enjoyed it!

This would technically be the start of the second arc for this story. The only reason I'm saying this is because some of the later chapters may end up being a little darker than usual. Just an early warning.


	28. Training on the Sea

After spending some time in Amity Square, everyone went to Canalave City for the rest of the day, running into Byron later in the evening as he returned from visiting his son. Byron was eager to hear about what Hareta had been up to in Johto, having heard from Roark that he was back in Sinnoh for a little while, so Gold and Kotone told him about their Johto journeys after they had introduced themselves.

The following morning, everyone woke up early so Hareta, Gold, and Kotone could catch the first ferry back to Sinnoh, Kotone and Mitsumi having checked to make sure that it went straight to Olivine City. As they reached the docks, Minami received a call on her Capture Styler from Professor Hastings, who requested that she return to the Oblivia region immediately. From what she could gather, the Pokémon Pinchers were up to something again.

Hanging up, Minami said to everyone, "I've got to get going. If Professor Hastings says that the Pokémon Pinchers are planning something, he means it." Gold said, "That's alright, Minami. You're a Pokémon Ranger after all; you and Pichu have to answer a call just like Trainers do!" Minami smiled, "Yeah, that's one way to put it!" Her Pichu climbed on her shoulder and chirped to her, causing her to smile back.

Riley came over to Hareta and said, "Good luck on the rest of your journey in Johto, Hareta. And don't forget about the training; try to find some time each day to practice." Hareta nodded, "I won't forget, Riley. I'll work on my skills and keep getting better!" Riley replied, "I'll be looking forward to seeing how much you know when you get back. Also, I have a little favor I wanted to ask you."

He removed the duffel bag he was carrying on his back and held it in his arms. He spoke, "I want you to take this with you on the rest of your journey. I've gone through the journal as much as I can, even translating pages I'm not close to yet, and I've found nothing. But I hear there is a shrine in the Dragon's Den in Blackthorn City, dedicated not only to Dragon Tamers, but also historical humans and Pokémon. Perhaps there, you will get some idea of what this is."

Mitsumi asked, "Why do you want him to take it with him? Couldn't you just go to Blackthorn City yourself?" Riley replied, "Yes I could, but not just anyone is allowed in the Dragon's Den. Only Dragon Tamers, as well as those who are approved by Blackthorn City's Gym Leader, can enter. Since Hareta and his friends are most likely going to go to Blackthorn City, they may get the chance to go to the shrine." He then turned back to Hareta and asked, "Will you do this for me, Hareta?" The boy nodded, "I'll do it. And I won't lose either the bag or the object inside." He then took the bag and swung it over his back, right next to his backpack.

The ship's horn blew and the captain announced, "Attention all passengers! We will be leaving for Olivine City in the Johto region in five minutes! Please make sure you have your tickets and all of your belongings!" Kotone looked at Gold and Hareta, saying, "C'mon guys, we'd better get onboard and find our rooms." Both boys nodded and the trio started up the docks, waving to everybody as they left. Jun called, "Hey, Hareta! We'll try to come out to Johto to watch you guys compete in the Silver Conference!" Mitsumi added, "Good luck with the rest of your Gym battles!"

Once they were aboard and out of sight, Minami said, "Well, guess it's time for me and Pichu to get going too." She then brought out the beam of her Capture Styler and made the sign to call Latias, the Eon Pokémon appearing when she was done. Climbing onto Latias with Pichu, she called, "Catch you guys later!" They then took off, flying northwest towards the Oblivia region. As they watched her disappear, Jun whistled, "Wow… Pokémon Rangers are really something."

Soon, the ship's horn sounded again as the anchors were brought up. Nobody noticed a familiar trio hanging onto one of the anchors that climbed up the side of the ship and quickly got below deck to hide. The group, meanwhile, having found their rooms and locked up their bags, headed to the back of the ship with their Pokémon to wave to everyone, all of them waving back. As the ship left the harbor, Byron turned to Riley and asked, "What was that thing that you found?" Riley replied, "I honestly have no idea. I just hope some clues can be found in Blackthorn City."

On the ship, everyone spread out to have some fun. Since the trip to Olivine City from Canalave City was going to take three days, they decided it would be best to split up for a while and find some different things to do to pass the time before meeting up for the various meals throughout the day.

While Kotone decided to relax in her room for a little while and Gold went to go hang out by the pool with his Pokémon, Hareta sat on a deck chair while some of his Pokémon either explored the ship or hung around with him. He was thinking about what to do at the moment and wondering if there was a secluded spot to practice with his Aura like Riley said he should do. He leaned back in his chair, deciding to enjoy the ocean breeze for the moment.

Suddenly, he noticed Grovyle and Lucario walking past him, Lucario saying, "(They have a regular gym on this ship, down below the deck. I hear it's a pretty quiet spot if you want to relax or anything that doesn't involve a lot of noise.)" Grovyle said, "(I think I'll go check it out. Where is it?)" Lucario shrugged, "(I'm not sure. I just heard one of the Sailors talking about it. They probably have a map of the ship posted in the hallways though; it probably won't be hard to find.)" Grovyle nodded and headed for a nearby door to go below deck while Lucario headed for the shuffleboard area.

After looking at the ocean and the sky for a while, Hareta stood up from his seat, deciding to stretch his legs a little. He headed inside the ship and went to his cabin; unlocking the door, he stepped inside and walked over to the storage closet in his room and unlocked it. Reaching inside, he pulled out the duffel bag and brought it over to his bed. After setting it down, he unzipped it and looked inside. Riley had taken care to wrap up the object in a durable protective wrap to better protect it while still allowing it to be seen somewhat. As he looked it over, he hoped that he would be able to find something out about it in Johto so that he could let Riley know what it was.

After looking it over for a few minutes, he put the object back in the bag, zipped it back up, and put it back in the closet with his backpack. He used the room key to lock the closet and then left the room, locking the door on his way out. He then noticed the nearby map of the ship and walked over to it, examining it for a few minutes.

As he turned to go down the hallway, he noticed Kotone leaving her room; upon seeing him, she called, "Hey Hareta! How's it going?" Hareta replied, "Pretty good, I think. I was thinking about checking out the gym they have on this ship for a little while. What about you?" Kotone answered, "They're having a trivia game in a few minutes in the ballroom. I was gonna go check that out and see how well I can do. Want me to come and get you when it's time for lunch?" Hareta replied, "Yeah, that'd be nice, especially if I forget. See you later, Kotone." She nodded and headed down the hall while Hareta walked in the opposite direction.

After wandering through the hallways and asking a few Sailors for directions, Hareta soon found himself in the gym. He looked around the room; the floor was covered with a light brown carpet, with several strips of red and blue dotting parts of it as well as black lines that indicated a marathon-like track that went around the room. The walls were light blue in color and the ceiling was composed of the same steel the rest of the ship was made of. As he looked around, he noticed Grovyle in one corner, resting atop a blue gym mat.

Hearing the footsteps on the carpet coming closer, Grovyle rolled onto his back and cracked an eye open. Seeing that it was Hareta, Grovyle relaxed and opened his other eye, saying, "(What is it, boss?)" Hareta replied, "Grovyle, you don't have to call me that. And don't worry, there's nothing going on right now. I'm just here to do some training with my Aura, like Riley said I should. I figured it would be better to do it where there's less chance someone will see what I'm doing. Unless that's not alright with you?" Grovyle asked, "(Are you going to need any help? Will you be making a lot of noise?)" Hareta answered, "No, I already know what I'll be practicing. And probably not." Grovyle shut his eyes again as he said, "(Knock yourself out, boss.)"

Hareta walked over to a nearby mat and sat down on it, crossing his legs as he began his training with meditation. As he focused, he began to see the gym as his he stretched out with his Aura, remaining calm so as to tap into his essence. After several minutes, he could see the gym around him in his head, even being able to sense Grovyle, who was waking up from his nap.

While Hareta continued to focus, Grovyle stood up and stretched, letting out a light yawn. Glancing around the gym, he decided to take advantage of the open space to do some practicing of his own. He began to run along the track on the floor to ensure that he was awake before anything else. After he had run enough, he walked off the track to the big open area in the center and began to practice with his Leaf Blade; pleasure cruise or no, he was not going to let himself get rusty. As he practiced, Hareta stood up and walked into the center as well to practice with another technique: drawing out his Aura.

Meanwhile, near the gym, a familiar trio was wandering aimlessly through the halls as they looked for the buffet. Jessie refused to consult a Sailor or map, saying that she could find the buffet in her sleep, which had led to them getting lost in the hallways. As they groaned about their predicament, they saw the open doors to the gym up ahead and poked their heads in. They saw Hareta's Grovyle practicing different ways to attack with Leaf Blade, as well as Hareta standing a little ways away. As they contemplated sneaking in to steal Grovyle, they noticed that an orb of blue energy formed between Hareta's hands, which were close to each other in a "C" shaped position.

"What's dat kid doin'? Is he training himself rather dan his Grovyle?" Meowth asked. James said, "If I didn't know better, I would say that he was practicing with Aura, like one of those ancient Aura Guardians my servants used to tell me stories about." Jessie looked at James and said, "Oh please, James! That kid may be a twerp, but even he's not that special!" James was about to ask her something when Meowth yelled, "Aah! Heads up, you two!" Both Jessie and James looked up to see the orb Hareta had been holding flying towards them! They quickly pulled their heads back into the hall as the sphere hit the wall near the door and exploded. As they panted from the experience, James said, "Since he saw us and we're too hungry to think, I suggest we leave him alone and go back to looking for the buffet." Both Jessie and Meowth agreed with him, the trio quickly scampering down the hall as they figured Hareta was coming.

Both Hareta and Grovyle ran over to the wall, inspecting the damage. Thankfully, it had only left a bit of a mark on the wall and floor that could probably be cleaned up, not really damaging anything. Hareta sighed, "Oh man, I'm still not getting the hang of that. I can make the Aura Sphere, but then I have trouble keeping it between my hands." Grovyle glanced around near the door, spotting a rubber bin with some straight black things sticking out of the top. Curious, he wandered over to it, followed by Hareta who was thinking about why he was having trouble controlling his Aura Sphere.

They noticed a note was on the side of bin, which said that the contents were "Black Sparring Foam Bokken." Pulling one out, Hareta saw that the foam blade was black, just like the hilt, and appeared to be about 26 inches long, 35 and a quarter with the hilt. Feeling it and looking it over, Hareta commented, "Huh. This is pretty cool. And it doesn't weigh too much either." Grovyle glanced at the note on the barrel and said, "(This says that these weigh three pounds. That sounds like a good weight for anyone who wants to swing it around at full speed. And since it's made of foam, it won't get damaged or hurt anyone during training.)"

Grovyle noticed that Hareta seemed to be thinking as he looked at the practice Bokken in his hands. After a minute, he asked, "Hey Grovyle, the way you use your Leaf Blade… Is that like holding one of these upside-down?" Grovyle was a bit surprised by this question, but replied, "(Yes, it's very similar to that, though I don't have to worry about the weight. Why?)" Hareta shrugged, "I don't know. I guess looking at these reminded me about Saturn's Gallade and Mitsumi's Leafeon. The way they did it looked closer to holding a blade upright."

After thinking for a moment, Hareta asked, "Do you think you'd be able to hold one of these Bokken as if it were a Leaf Blade, Grovyle?" Grovyle responded, "(Probably. Why?)" Hareta answered, "Because I just had a crazy thought. Not that that's unusual for me, all things considered. But anyway, I was thinking that maybe we could do some practice sparring with these to help us both. I could get a better grip on my training and you could duel with something other than air." Hareta's idea came as a shock to Grovyle; he knew the boy was quite agile and strong, but he wasn't expecting him to want to practice with a foam sword, even if it would help him. The shock quickly passed, however, and he reached into the bin to grab one of the Bokken, saying, "(If you think you can handle it, then let's cross blades!)"

Moving back into the center area, Grovyle reversed his grip on his Bokken and held it upside down while Hareta held his forward. But as he looked at the way Grovyle was holding his, he asked, "Should I hold mine in a reverse grip too?" Grovyle replied, "(Well, since you've never used anything like this before, you should probably start by using it the regular way. Since my Leaf Blade appears the way it does, this is the way I'm naturally used to; I don't want to mess with what I know. But it would be a good idea for you to learn how to use it normally first before trying something trickier.)" Hareta nodded and both got into a battle stance.

The two lunged at each other, crossing their blades as they got close. Due to Hareta not being much taller than Grovyle, they were almost eye level as they tried to overpower each other. After a few moments of neither being able to outmuscle the other, Grovyle suddenly used his Bokken to knock Hareta's aside, then rushed him as if doing a Quick Attack, knocking the boy off of his feet and back, though he managed to press an arm against the ground as he flipped backwards to avoid hitting the ground.

Seeing what he just did, Grovyle said, "(Whoops, sorry about that! Guess I got caught up in the moment.)" Hareta replied, "Don't worry about it. Even though we're just practicing, we should be treating it like it's a real battle. It's fine as long as you don't push too hard." Grovyle said, "(Alright then. Same goes for you.)" Hareta was surprised, "What? I meant that it was alright for you to do it. I don't wanna accidentally hurt you." Grovyle explained, "(These swords aren't just for slashing, they're meant to be this light so that you can do martial arts as well. Like you said, this should be treated like a real battle so that we can both learn from it. As long as neither of us pushes too hard intentionally, there's no problem. Now come at me!)"

For a while, the two continued their fencing and close-range skills, both enjoying the experience while they learned from it. While Grovyle clearly had the upper hand at the start, he had to up the ante soon as Hareta became more confident with the practice sword and learned how to properly use it. As the two panted and prepared to lunge at each other again, they suddenly heard a voice call, "Hey! Hareta!" Glancing behind him, Hareta saw Kotone coming towards him and Grovyle. As she walked, she said, "They're going to be opening the buffet for lunch soon. I came down here to remind you that…" She stopped as she noticed what Hareta and Grovyle were holding, asking, "What are you two doing with those?"

Hareta glanced down at the black Bokken in his hand, then back up to Kotone as he said, "We were just practicing. I figured Grovyle would prefer to battle with a real opponent than imaginary ones." Kotone asked, "But where did you find those? I would think they'd be locked up so the less mature kids don't start running around the ship with them and breaking stuff." Hareta pointed over to the area near the door saying, as Grovyle came over, "Grovyle saw them in that bin over there. They were just sitting there." Kotone looked where he was pointing, then back at him for a moment before saying, "Well, since you two look like you were really getting into it without getting hurt, I don't think the crew will mind. Especially if it helps you in the future. Though you should keep in mind that we boarded this ship so we could relax and that there are going to be more people in here later, so you might not get a chance to practice later."

Hareta asked, "What do you mean?" Kotone replied, "I heard from one of the Sailors in the ballroom that, to give the passengers something to do, there are going to be a few things held in here over the next two days. You know, like yoga and games and stuff like that. And if there's something going on, they're not going to be very happy if you two start training when people are trying to have fun." She turned around and headed for the door, calling back to Hareta, "You two finish up what you're doing and meet the rest of us at the buffet room. Gold and his Pokémon have already gone ahead, so you'd better hurry if you guys want to get any of the good food."

Both Grovyle and Hareta wiped the sweat off their brows, then proceeded to put their practice swords back in the bin. As they left the gym and headed for the buffet, Grovyle said, "(That was a lot of fun. You got good with that foam Bokken pretty quick. Too bad we won't get to do much of that during the next two days.)" Hareta replied, "Hey, they can't be using it all the time. If we can find out when they're going to be using that gym, maybe we could find time to come down before or after to do some more of that. Maybe the others could join us too!" Grovyle nodded, "(Maybe. That would probably be interesting.)"

During the next two days, Hareta and Grovyle managed to find time to come to the gym to practice when it was empty. At these times, they were also joined by most of Hareta's other Pokémon, who had been told about what the two had been doing during lunch and wanted to join the fun. They also found some time to come on the third day, before the ship arrived at Olivine City, though it was just Hareta and Grovyle that time. They didn't take very long with this one, wanting to have their things ready by the time the ship pulled into port.

Once the ship had pulled into the harbor, the trio joined the rest of the passengers as they disembarked from the ship, Hareta with Minun on his shoulder and Grovyle and Empoleon nearby while Gold had Bayleef walking beside him and Pikachu and Pichu sat on his shoulder and Kotone had her Croconaw beside her while she carried her Togepi. Stopping near the harbor's exit, the group decided to go straight to the Gym to see if Jasmine would be willing to accept a challenge now, since Amphy had hopefully healed completely now.

As they prepared to leave the harbor, Hareta suddenly spotted a familiar blonde Trainer and Absol standing next to an empty crate. He began to walk towards the two with his Pokémon, soon followed by Gold, Kotone, and their Pokémon once they noticed where he was going. As he neared the crate, Hareta called, "Koya!" The older boy glanced up from his briefcase, which was sitting on the crate, and looked at Hareta out of the corner of his eye. Once Hareta was close enough, he turned his eyes back to his briefcase and said, "I assume you're back to finish what you've started, Hareta." Hareta nodded, "Yeah, we're back to finish our journey in Johto."

As Gold and Kotone got closer, they realized that the blonde was the Koya that Hareta had told them about. They greeted him and introduced themselves, though he only responded with a half nod and grunt, as he was preoccupied with making sure he had everything he needed in his briefcase. As he noticed what Koya was doing, Hareta asked, "Why are you here, Koya? Is it because of Team Rocket?" Koya replied, "Team Rocket has been disbanded for years, Hareta. No, I'm here for the same reason you are." He then leaned back from his briefcase and looked at the sky, as if he wanted Hareta to see what was inside the briefcase. He looked and was surprised at what he saw; sitting upon an indented space in the case were the Zephyr, Hive, Plain, Fog, and Storm Badges, as well as two badges that he did not recognize.

Seeing that Hareta knew what was inside the case, Koya snapped it shut and picked it up by the handle, saying, "I obtained those badges years ago, back before I encountered that Trainer with the Gyarados. Since things have been quiet for a while, I'm going to take advantage of that and finish what Growlithe and I started." Hareta asked, "Are you going to challenge Jasmine?" Koya replied, "No. If anyone should challenge Jasmine, it should be you. You did say you helped her Ampharos, so she'll probably be willing to accept a challenge from you guys." As he began to walk away with his Absol, he said, "I'm going to Mahogany Town. Gym Leader Pryce should be a good challenge."

After he left, Gold asked, "Do you think he's going to want to compete in the Silver Conference too?" Kotone said, "Probably. As long as you don't use the badges to enter a competition, they can be kept for future use. Wonder if he carried those around with him all this time?" Hareta said, "If I were to guess, he must've left them somewhere and recently found them again. Of course, I'm just guessing here." Gold said, "Well let's go! If he's gonna be competing in the Johto League, then it'll be a great opportunity to see which one of you is the stronger Trainer after all this time! Now let's get to the Gym!" He then began to walk off towards the city with Bayleef, Pikachu, and Pichu while Hareta, Kotone, and their Pokémon followed behind.

**Meanwhile…**

Faust glared darkly down at one of his minions, who was cowering as he looked up at his master seated upon the stone slab. Although he couldn't see his face, the minion just knew that Faust was angry, as he had appeared at the foot of the steps several minutes ago, saying that he was part of the group that had attacked Iron Island and nothing had been said since then.

Eventually, Faust spoke in an angry voice, "I expected you and your group back here days ago. Did you attack the island and incite fear in all those that inhabit it?" The minion hesitated before saying, "N-no Master F-Faust…" Faust continued to stare down at the minion, his face behind the mask not changing a bit as he said, "And why is that? Are you saying those beasts were too much for you?" The minion spoke, "No, master. We were driven off by a… A human."

Faust stood up and yelled, "A human? You dare joke to me? How could a human defeat you and an entire group of monsters!" The minion recalled the event before saying, "Because this human… When we were about to kill him, he suddenly unleashed his Aura on us. We had them pinned down until that happened; once his Aura was unleashed, he was unstoppable. His Aura surrounded him like a flame and he used his Aura to attack in wild, unpredictable ways. Just like… Him…"

If one could see behind Faust's mask, they would've seen a clearly surprised look on his face for a moment before the angry look returned. He growled, "I don't care what this human did or who he was similar to. You utterly failed your mission, a mission that even a lowly human could not mess up. You disgust me with your presence." The minion cried, "Please, Master Faust!" The cloaked "man" paid him no heed and blasted the minion with a pure black sphere, which sent the creature flying all the way across the room and into the black hole. As it broke down into a cloud of mist, Faust muttered, "Perhaps some time in torment with your fellow monsters will teach you to be better prepared."

Faust sat back down, bringing a hand to his chin as he thought about what he had heard. "Wild and unpredictable fighting style… But it can't be him! At least 300 years have gone by in this world since then! Enta and his sister can't still be alive!" He then thought a moment before muttering, "But still, it's likely that they have descendents that are alive today… If what I just heard is true, then this boy may be a descendent of either Enta or Lyra." Under his mask, his face showed an evil smirk as he said, "Perhaps I'll have to test this human, to see if he really does have the old Dia blood."

* * *

Music:

Riley's Request and Return to Johto - Sheik's Theme (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

A Relaxing Cruise - Surfing (Pokémon HGSS)

Aura Training - Movement in Green -arrange- from FFX (Dissidia Final Fantasy)

Hareta and Grovyle Duel - Unwavering Resolve (Soul Calibur II)

Koya's Return - Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior (Super Metroid)

In the Lair of the Dark Lord - The Hundredth Year (Okami)


	29. Setting the Record Straight

I'm not entirely sure about this one. Everything revolving around this chapter's battle scene strikes me as off. I hope you guys like it better.

* * *

After arriving at the Olivine City Gym, the group entered to find the battlefield and Jasmine waiting for them. Jasmine thanked them for going to Cianwood City to get the medicine for Ampharos and postponing their journey to let Amphy heal, revealing that Chuck had told her that they had taken a vacation in Sinnoh. She then revealed that she was a Steel-type Trainer and said that she would face Gold first, then Hareta for the Mineral Badge. She was notably nervous, but refused to back down during battle.

Gold battled against her two Magnemite and Steelix with Geodude, Buizel, and Tyrogue, Geodude defeating both Magnemite before being defeated by Steelix. Buizel was also defeated, but Tyrogue was eventually able to defeat Steelix in the end, giving Gold the victory. For her battle against Hareta, she used Skarmory, Bronzong, and Magnezone against the boy's Luxray, Lucario, and Regigigas. Luxray defeated Skarmory before being beaten by an Earthquake from Bronzong. Lucario fought with Bronzong afterwards, Lucario winning but being very worn out from the match. This allowed Magnezone to defeat him easily, and it looked like it might defeat Regigigas as well until the Slow Start ability wore off, allowing Regigigas to claim victory.

Jasmine came over to Hareta and Gold and said, "You are both better Trainers than me, in both skill and kindness. In accordance with League rules, I award the Mineral Badge to you both." After giving them their Badges, Gold said, "Thanks, Jasmine! By the way, how's Dr. Kiyoshi doing? Did he leave after Amphy was feeling better?" Jasmine sighed, "I'm… Not sure. I don't even know if he's alive right now…"

Hareta asked, "What do you mean? Did something happen?" Jasmine explained, "After you left for Cianwood City, he came up the morning after to check on me and Amphy, saying he would make sure to check on us every few hours… But he never came up the following day, when Chuck arrived with the medicine, or any day afterwards… When Amphy had healed about three days ago, I came down to see if he was still here and see if there had been a problem, only to find the house he was staying in destroyed…"

Kotone asked, "What happened? Was he okay?" Jasmine replied, "I don't know… It looked like something had pushed the house down by force from the inside, since everything had been overturned. Dr. Kiyoshi was nowhere within its ruins; even the police could find no trace of him… I don't know what happened, but I have this feeling that something bad is going to happen… Something horrible…"

After a moment, Gold said, "Don't worry, Jasmine. I'm sure the doctor will turn up and everything will be fine. Until then, you've got to keep your faith in him and wait, believe me." Kotone giggled, "Sounds like someone is beginning to sound like a parent." While Gold began to argue with Kotone, Jasmine spoke to Hareta, "Do you suppose that's true? That I should believe?" Hareta nodded, "Of course. When you know someone, it's only natural that you should believe in them, especially if they help you or you care for them." Jasmine nodded after a moment, "I suppose you're both right… Um… The Sinnoh Region… I've heard that it's a nice place, and Erika, one of the Kanto Gym Leaders, said I should go try the Super Contests there… Do you think I should?"

Hareta replied, "Hey, I bet you would do great in a Super Contest! After seeing you in battle today, I'm sure you could handle the dress up, dancing, and appeals round in a Super Contest no problem!" Jasmine smiled, "Thank you… Maybe I'll go to Sinnoh sometime and try it… I'm sure Rusty and I would have fun." Gold nodded, "I bet you two would. Anyway, we should probably get going if we want to get to Ecruteak City today." Jasmine replied, "Of course. I shouldn't keep you from your journey. Um… I… I don't know how to say this, but good luck to all of you." The trio nodded and said goodbye to Jasmine as they left the Gym and headed for Ecruteak City.

**Later…**

After crossing both Routes 39 and 38, Gold, Kotone, and Hareta were once again in Ecruteak City. Passing through the center of the city, they found Morty staring up at the Bell Tower so they called out to him. Upon seeing the group, Morty waved back to them and they talked for a little while about what each had been up to. Morty mentioned that Eusine had passed through earlier, heading for Route 42 and claiming that Suicune was in that direction and the trio talked about their vacation in Sinnoh.

While they were talking about the nearby Kimono Dance Theater and how they'd seen some of the Kimono Girls in Violet City, Ilex Forest, and the theater itself, Hareta noticed a nearby house that was north of the little square. Although it was in the same design as the other houses around Ecruteak City, it looked like no one had lived in it for a long time. As he looked, he was suddenly nudged by Gold, who said, "Hey! Anybody home?" Hareta turned his head and asked, "Huh? What?" Morty asked, "Something wrong, Hareta?" Hareta shook his head, "No, I was just looking at that house over there."

Morty noticed the house he was talking about and said, "Ah, yes, that house. It's been a long time since anyone has lived in that house. A very long time." Kotone asked, "How come? Is there something wrong with it?" Morty replied, "I'm not sure, but I've heard people say that a ghost can sometimes be seen inside. I've never personally seen it, so I wouldn't know. Well, I should get back to my Gym and see how my Pokémon are doing right now, but it was good seeing you three again." The group waved to him as he left, heading for the Pokémon Center afterwards. As he followed Gold and Kotone, Hareta stopped and looked back at the house a moment more before catching up to them.

**Later that night…**

While Gold, Kotone, and most of the Pokémon slumbered peacefully, Hareta lay awake in his bed, staring up at the underside of the bed above him. The group decided to stay in Ecruteak City so that their Pokémon could rest up. They didn't want to be tired in case they ran into any trouble along the way to Mahogany Town. Throughout the day, Hareta had been thinking about the house they'd seen, and it was messing with his sleep.

Eventually, Hareta pushed the covers off of him and swung his feet over the bed, slipping them into his shoes, which were at the foot of the bed. He grabbed the key on the nearby table and quietly put it in his jeans pocket, leaving the room so he wouldn't wake up anyone. Unfortunately for him, Gold's Pikachu couldn't sleep well either, and Misdreavus and Minun noticed that Hareta had left the room. Working together to get the door open, they followed his scent to see where he had gone.

They found him in the lobby of the Pokémon Center, next to a vending machine containing drinks. Besides his shoes and jeans, he also had a white T-shirt on, as he had taken off his long-sleeve shirt. Even in the dim lighting of the Pokémon Center, they could see him clearly, as could Hareta once he noticed them as he bent down to pick up the can from the machine. "Hey guys. What's up?" he asked. Misdreavus said, "(You got up, then we got up and followed you when you left with the room key.)" Hareta smiled, "Guess I should've expected somebody to hear me."

Moving to one of the couches in the lobby, Hareta opened his can and took a sip before asking, "So how come you guys couldn't sleep?" Minun said, "(Misdreavus and I just happened to hear you. We were just coming to see what you were doing, since you rarely leave the room during the night.)" Hareta looked at Pikachu, asking, "What about you?" Pikachu sighed, "(I've just been thinking about what Jasmine said all day. And I'm worried.)" Hareta spoke, "You're worried if Dr. Kiyoshi is okay, aren't you? You two really are good friends." Pikachu shook his head, "(Not just that. The way Jasmine described how the house was destroyed… I'm worried that he might've returned.)" Hareta asked, "He? Are you talking about the thing you've been looking for?" Pikachu nodded quietly, afraid of that possibility.

He then glanced up at Hareta and asked, "(Why were you up, anyway? You rarely ever have trouble getting to sleep.)" Hareta glanced down at the can in his hand and said, "I've been thinking too. About that house and what Morty said." Misdreavus asked, "(You want to see the ghost he was talking about?)" Hareta shook his head, "No. It's just… I know it's an old house, but something about it… I felt something as I looked at it. It felt like sadness. I don't know why. I guess I'm awake because I'm wondering what's inside."

Minun said, "(Well why don't we go see right now! If you're so confused and curious that you can't sleep, then we might as well go see, especially since we set out for Mahogany Town after breakfast.)" Hareta thought a moment, then said, "Alright, we can do that. But let's go by ourselves. I don't think the others would want to be woken up just to see the inside of some old house." They returned to the room to return the key and get a flashlight from Hareta's bag, then climbed out of the window in the room. They left it open so they could get back in once they were done.

Walking through the dimly lit streets, they made their way to the house. They stopped when they reached the front, Hareta turning the flashlight on so they could see where they were going. As he passed the light over the front, he noticed two banners hanging near the front door, both adorned with the same Poké Ball logo that was on his hat. "Wonder who put these here." Hareta murmured. Moving over to feel it, Pikachu said, "(These feel really old. Like they've been here for many years.)" Hareta, Minun, and Misdreavus felt them too, agreeing that they felt extremely old. After wondering for a moment about how long they could've been there, they stepped through the front door.

Inside, they found that the inside was one big room with sliding doors in the back leading to the sleeping area. Near one of the walls was a circular table and there were several old Pokémon statues against the walls, most having broken down over time. It seemed like anything else that had been in the house was either taken by humans or wild Pokémon or had been otherwise lost over time. Walking over to the table, Minun and Pikachu jumped up onto it while Misdreavus hovered over Hareta's shoulder as he dusted it off some. Inscribed on the table was the same mark that had been hanging on the banners around the front door. Misdreavus murmured, "(The same mark… I didn't know they made tables with this on it.)" Hareta felt the stone that the table was made of and said, "This looks and feels old, just like those banners. See, this rock is really coarse and fractured in places. Maybe it's as old as those banners…"

Suddenly, the sound of a boot touching the floorboards caught everyone's ears. They quickly turned around to face whoever was in the house with them, but were surprised at what they saw. A man dressed in blue robes wearing black boots and a black cloak with the hood up was approaching them, but he was he was outlined in blue and appeared to be somewhat transparent. As he stood a fair distance from them, the man spoke, "My children and I never wanted what you saw to happen. We never wanted our failure to destroy a great evil to come back to haunt you. I'm sorry, son…" Hareta stared in shock at the man; was he saying they were related? Before he could ask, the man turned around and began to walk away as he faded. Hareta cried, "Wait! Who are you?" But the only response he received was the sound of the man's footsteps.

**The following morning…**

After enjoying a quick breakfast in the Pokémon Center, the trio and their Pokémon hung around the city for a little longer before leaving for Route 42. Empoleon walked beside Hareta while Minun rode on his shoulder, Pikachu and Pichu rode on Gold's shoulders while Bayleef walked beside him, and Noctowl sat on Kotone's shoulder as she held Togepi. Even though the Spike Ball Pokémon had gotten quite strong from participating in battles, she still liked to carry it in her arms.

As they passed Mt. Mortar, they suddenly heard some rustling in the trees nearby. Going off the path to check, they heard the cry of Suicune! As they were about to go into a small enclosure with some Apricorn trees, Suicune rushed towards them, pushing the group back and quickly glancing at them before running in the direction of Mahogany Town. As it rushed, it thought, "(_Every time I see that boy, I am reminded of my old master…_)"

As the group stood up and looked where Suicune had run, Eusine appeared and walked past the group, saying, "Suicune… How brave it is! How refreshing it is! How beautiful it is! And how quickly it moves!" Gold asked, "Uh, Eusine?" Eusine turned to the group and said, "It seems you three are always around wherever Suicune appears. I wonder if Suicune is drawn to any one of you… Well, it's okay. My desire to search for Suicune reveals many facts, and certainly holds many surprises as well!"

Kotone said, "I don't mean to intrude Eusine, but why are you attracted to Suicune the way you are?" Eusine explained, "My grandfather was… Quite into myths. I've heard so many stories about Suicune from him. I grew up with the wish that I could someday meet Suicune. And now that I have, I have the feeling that it is searching for something. And I will not rest until I find out what it is!" The group was taken aback by Eusine's dedication to Suicune and nothing was said for a few moments.

Somebody eventually spoke up, and it wasn't Hareta, Gold, or Kotone. Instead, the owner was Silver, who had been looking for strong Pokémon in Mt. Mortar and had stayed out of sight near the entrance so he could listen, and he said, "So how long are you going to chase after a Pokémon that someone like you doesn't deserve to have? All your life, or just part of it?" Eusine began to fume as Silver stepped into the sunlight, yelling, "How dare you insult me! Do you have no respect for the embodiment of the north wind?" Silver replied, "I respect it simply because it's a strong Pokémon. If I had it, I would be unstoppable." Eusine shouted, "You think of Suicune as only a tool? I don't know who you think you are, but I challenge you to a battle!" Silver said, "The name's Silver, and it'd be a waste of my time to battle a dreamer like you."

As Silver began to walk away, Hareta called, "Hey Silver!" The red-haired boy stopped and turned around, asking, "What do you want?" Hareta replied, "Since you won't battle Eusine, I'll battle you!" Gold, Kotone, their Pokémon, and Eusine were a bit surprised at Hareta's sudden challenge, but Silver simply said, "I pass. I already saw enough of you last time, and weak-minded Trainers like you aren't worth my time." Hareta smirked, "Is that so? Or are you turning me down because you're afraid you'll get beaten by a weak-minded Trainer?" Silver glared at him, "I'm not afraid of you or Gold. I can handle anything you two weaklings want to use against me." Hareta replied, "Prove it, tough guy." Silver glared at him a moment longer before saying, "Fine. How do you want to be beaten?" Hareta replied, "Same as last time. Six Pokémon, substitutions, and no time limit."

Everyone moved into the small area that Suicune had been standing in, Hareta and Silver standing at opposite ends while Gold, Kotone, and Eusine stood off to the side. Before the match started, Gold asked Eusine, "Hey, how come you're sticking around to watch? Don't you usually go chasing after Suicune?" Eusine replied, "Yes, but that Silver has some nerve to talk about Suicune that way! If Hareta fails to defeat him good, then I will do the honors!" Kotone looked back at the battlefield and said, "I wouldn't worry about Hareta losing. I'm sure he's been preparing for this rematch."

Silver once again chose Golbat as his first Pokémon, so Hareta responded by sending Minun to battle first. Silver smirked, "Hope you've picked up something new since last time. You won't get me a second time with that Rollout trick." Hareta replied, "We're looking to get back on track here. No tried-and-true gimmicks here; this'll be like a fresh canvas." Silver rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever. Golbat, use Haze!" At his call, Golbat released a black haze from its mouth, which covered the battlefield and made it hard to see for Minun. Silver then ordered a Poison Fang, as he knew Golbat had no trouble detecting where Minun was in the middle of the Haze.

Hareta countered by calling for a Swift attack, Minun releasing a flurry of stars from his mouth that locked onto Golbat, even though it couldn't be seen. The stars hit Golbat as it was swooping towards Minun, leaving it mostly defenseless and slamming it back. The attack also pushed the Haze out, clearing up the field. He then called for a Charge, Minun focusing his electricity for the next attack. Seeing that they were preoccupied, Silver tried to go for another Poison Fang, Golbat's fangs glowing purple as it flew towards Minun. Before it could strike, though, Hareta called for a Thunder attack, Minun unleashing the full power of the move once Golbat was so close that it wouldn't be able to evade. Between the type advantage and the power supplied by the Charge, Golbat was knocked out almost instantly! Silver glared at Hareta for a moment before recalling Golbat.

On the sidelines, Gold commented, "Wow, that was quick! Golbat didn't even get an attack in on Minun." Eusine nodded, "I guess Kotone was right in saying that he was preparing for this match." Kotone cheered, "Keep it up, Hareta! You guys are looking good!" Silver ignored what they were saying and sent out Haunter to battle. Hareta kept Minun out, calling for a Nasty Plot, followed by an Agility. Silver called for a Night Shade, Haunter firing black beams from its eyes. Thanks to the Agility, Minun dodged the beams, keeping up the pace as Hareta called for another Agility.

Eusine brought a hand to his chin, "He seems to be sticking to moves that temporarily increase a Pokémon's stats. I wonder why…" Back on the field, Silver had had enough of their scampering and called for a Shadow Punch, a black fist being launched from Haunter that sent Minun flying. Silver called, "All those boosts are good for a battle, but they're worthless if you don't know when to use them." Hareta called back, "I know that. And now seems to be the perfect time." Silver prepared for Hareta to call out an attack, but was surprised when Hareta brought out Minun's Poké Ball. He then called, "Minun, Baton Pass!" At his call, Minun let out a cry as he several balls of light surrounded him before the red return beam called him back to his Poké Ball. Hareta then put it back in his pocket and grabbed another, sending out Misdreavus!

Kotone said, "So that's what he was planning. He had Minun use all those helpful moves so he could use Baton Pass to transfer the effects to Misdreavus." Gold said, "Last time those two battled, Misdreavus was defeated by Haunter's Destiny Bond. Maybe he increased Misdreavus' stats because he has an idea of how to keep that from happening again." Eusine said, "Wondering now won't do much. We'll just have to watch and see what they do now."

Silver growled, "Don't think those boosts are going to change the outcome here! Haunter, Sucker Punch!" All of a sudden, Haunter smashed into Misdreavus, knocking it to the ground and pinning it down with its hands. That was a mistake for Haunter, however, as Hareta had called for a Payback, which blasted Haunter with twice the power the move normally had! While it was still reeling from the attack, Hareta called for an Astonish attack, which made Haunter flinch!

Suspecting Hareta was going to try to make Haunter faint soon, Silver ordered a Destiny Bond, Haunter bracing itself to try to take Misdreavus with it. Hareta had Misdreavus use Shadow Ball next, although it was angled down and hit the ground just in front of Haunter, creating a cloud of dust. Knowing it would be hard for Haunter to use Destiny Bond when it couldn't see its opponent, Silver called for a Dark Pulse, Haunter launching a beam of purple circles to clear up the smoke. That moment of distraction proved costly for Silver, however, as Hareta ordered a Psybeam and Misdreavus released a pair of multicolored beams from its eyes that hit Haunter hard and made it faint!

Recalling Haunter, Silver said, "It would appear you've picked up a few tricks since last time after all. But when it's all over, I'll still be victorious!" He then called out his Xatu, ordering a Night Shade once it appeared. Misdreavus countered with a Night Shade of its own, the two moves eventually canceling each other out. Silver called for a Tailwind while Hareta ordered Misdreavus to use Power Gem. Due to the temporary boost in speed, Xatu had little trouble dodging the glowing orange ball, using Teleport afterwards to warp behind Misdreavus and blast it with an Ominous Wind. It managed to get a Peck attack in as well, but Misdreavus wasn't defeated yet and used Pain Split to recover from some of the damage and weaken Xatu some. Hareta then recalled it, thanking Misdreavus for fighting hard.

Interestingly, Hareta called out Grovyle next. Silver suspected a mistake in choosing and ordered a Peck attack, Xatu flying towards Grovyle, beak pointed forward. Hareta had Grovyle counter by using Leaf Blade as a defensive move, putting their training during the voyage to good use. When Xatu eventually attempted to push against the attack, Hareta called for a Screech attack, Grovyle unleashing a powerful screech that sent Xatu sprawling. After it stood back up, Silver commanded it to use Signal Beam while Hareta called for Grovyle to use Quick Attack. Grovyle struck first, slamming into Xatu, who blasted him pointblank with Signal Beam. While Grovyle was flying, Xatu went in for a Peck that was just barely stopped by a Slam from Grovyle.

After they were both pushed back and landed on their feet, Silver called for a Guard Swap that gave Grovyle the lowered defenses caused by the earlier Screech attack. This didn't throw off either Grovyle or Hareta, as they pressed onwards with Fury Cutter, Grovyle slashing Xatu with his claws. Xatu countered by throwing Grovyle with a Psychic attack, Grovyle sliding across the ground after landing. After Grovyle got back up, Silver called for another Peck attack, Xatu once again flying towards Grovyle when the Tailwind suddenly died down. Hareta took advantage of Xatu's sudden shock by calling for a Quick Attack, Grovyle slamming right into Xatu and pushing it back. Before the attack ended, Grovyle finished with a Pound attack, sending Xatu into the ground. The swirls in its eyes indicated that Xatu had finally hit its limit.

Hareta could tell that Grovyle had really put a lot into battling Xatu, so he recalled him and thanked him for battling so hard, sending out Empoleon afterwards. Silver responded by sending out Ursaring, the two once again pitting their strongest Pokémon against each other. Silver led off by calling for Belly Drum, Ursaring once again maximizing its attack at the expense of health, while Hareta called for Swords Dance, Empoleon crossing his wings as they glowed blue and became slightly thicker. Hareta then called for Metal Claw while Silver ordered Fury Swipes, both Pokémon slashing at each other with their claws. Eventually, Ursaring tried to smash Empoleon with a Hammer Arm, but the attack was caught by both of Empoleon's wings. He then used a Fury Attack, jabbing Ursaring several times with the horns on his head, and followed up with a Brine attack, blowing Ursaring away.

Although Ursaring was still strong enough to stand up, it was clear that it couldn't last much longer. Rather than risk losing one of his stronger Pokémon, Silver recalled Ursaring and sent out Sneasel to take its place. He had Sneasel lead off with an Ice Shard, Hareta having Empoleon answer with an Aqua Jet. Empoleon broke through the ball of ice Sneasel hurled at him and hit Sneasel, pushing it back. After skidding to a stop, Sneasel leapt towards Empoleon in a Quick Attack, though the move had little effect due to Empoleon being part Steel-type. Before Silver called another attack, Hareta and Empoleon nodded to each other, preparing for whatever Silver attacked with next.

Silver began a series of fast hits, attempting to overwhelm Empoleon. He started with a Faint Attack, Sneasel walking up to Empoleon and pointing to one side, attacking when he wasn't looking. Silver then ordered a Fury Swipes, Sneasel slashing Empoleon several times before jumping away. After both of these attacks, Hareta still didn't call any moves, so Silver called for a Slash attack, Sneasel delivering a single powerful scratch to Empoleon. As soon as it hit, Hareta called, "Now Empoleon!" At his call, Empoleon's body began to glow white, Silver gasping, "Bide? He communicated the command without having to speak?" Empoleon then dashed at Sneasel, slamming it with the stored energy before smacking it away with a wing. Sneasel hit the ground hard after being hit away; it struggled to stand up for a moment at Silver's yelling, but soon fell over, knocked out!

Hareta called to Silver, "Yeah, we can communicate without talking because we're good friends! We don't need raw strength to prove that we're powerful because we get our strength from each other! Now do you see what it means to have friends, to have someone you can count on even when things look bleak?" After recalling Sneasel, Silver growled, "Friends… Trust… What good are they? You can have all the allies you could ever hope to need to achieve a goal, and everything falls apart if they're not strong enough! I don't need to rely on anyone to get what I want! I swore I would prove to the world that I can achieve greatness because of my own desire to be strong!" Hareta yelled, "Listen to you, Silver! Is that the stance you've always had, or is it because you were abandoned by someone? If you're trying to prove that you're strong all by yourself, then why are you a Trainer? What's the point if you're just following in someone's footsteps?"

Silver growled, angered by the memories that Hareta was bringing up, and yelled, "MAGNEMITE! GET OUT HERE NOW!" After he sent out Magnemite, Hareta recalled Empoleon and sent out Quilava to battle Magnemite. Off on the sidelines, Eusine asked, "Is it normal for Silver to get upset when the odds are against him like this?" Kotone said, "No, we've never seen him get this mad before. Hareta must've struck a nerve. Still, he makes a good point; did something happen to Silver that made him what he is today?" Gold said nothing as he focused on the battle, knowing Hareta would either win soon or Silver would make a major comeback.

Silver called for a Magnet Bomb while Hareta called for a Swift attack, the two sure-hit moves striking each other and exploding on contact. Magnemite then tried a Zap Cannon, which missed due to the smoke from the explosion and gave away its position, allowing Quilava to land a Flamethrower. Hareta then called for a Dig attack, Quilava quickly digging and disappearing into the ground. Silver was able to retaliate by commanding a Magnet Rise and then had Magnemite use Discharge, electrocuting Quilava. Still, she held in there and, after shaking off some of the sparks, readied herself for another attack. Silver ordered a Spark attack, so Hareta answered by calling for a Flame Wheel, both Pokémon shooting towards each other. Upon contact, they held each other for a moment before Quilava broke through the Spark and rolled into Magnemite. It hit the ground afterwards, several scorch marks and a swirl in its eye visible.

Silver quietly recalled Magnemite and sent out Ursaring, his last Pokémon. Hareta recalled Quilava, thanking her for her hard work, then sent out Scyther to finish the battle. Hareta went first by calling for a Quick Attack, though it was repelled when Silver ordered a Slash attack that knocked Scyther back. Silver then ordered a Thrash attack, Ursaring going after Scyther while wildly attacking. Hareta called for an Agility to get Scyther out of the way, though it was still caught by Ursaring and beat up badly by the attack. Although Scyther suffered some damage from the attack, it was able to push itself out of the crater that had been created when it was hit by Ursaring, who was now confused and beginning to attack wildly. Hareta called for an X-Scissor, Scyther crossing its scythes as they began to glow a light purple. When Ursaring's rampage brought it close enough, Scyther flew towards it and slashed in the shape of an 'X.' Between the damage from Empoleon and the confusion, Ursaring collapsed, defeated.

Silver stared in shock at what had happened; he did some damage to Hareta's team, but otherwise, he had been totally defeated. Everyone else was shocked as well; even Hareta was surprised at the sweep. Silver eventually recalled Ursaring back to its Poké Ball and closed his eyes for several moments, saying nothing. When Hareta called out his name, he opened his eyes and said, "You're better than I thought… But I refuse to agree with your view on Pokémon. Next time, I'll be ready for you; my emotions won't get in the way of what I'm doing." He then turned around and walked away into the trees, heading for Mahogany Town.

Hareta watched him go until he disappeared among the trees; he then walked up to Scyther and, wrapping an arm around him, said, "Thanks, Scyther. You were awesome back there!" Scyther smiled and nodded, "(No problem, buddy.)" Hareta brought out Scyther's Poké Ball and recalled it, allowing it to rest. Everyone came over afterwards, Gold speaking up first, "Hareta, that battle was something else! You and your Pokémon were really in sync for this battle against Silver!" Kotone nodded, "You sure were. Just don't forget that Silver's going to be sure to challenge you again to prove you wrong." Hareta replied, "No he won't. Silver's all yours now, Gold. After last time, I just wanted to get my point across to Silver. That's all." Gold nodded, "And next time he battles me, I'll be sure to be ready for him!"

Eusine spoke, "If you'll excuse me, I must be off. I may still have time to catch up to Suicune if I hurry. May we meet again!" And with that, he left the field and hurried in the direction Suicune had run off in. Kotone said, "He sure is one busy guy. Hope he gets to realize his dream soon." Hareta nodded, "I hope so too. It's always great when a dream comes true." Gold added, "And speaking of dreams, we've got to get to Mahogany Town! C'mon, you two! Let's hurry!" After finishing, he dashed out of the field with Pikachu and Pichu resting on his shoulders while Bayleef followed behind, Hareta and Kotone with her Pokémon following behind them.

Meanwhile, up on one of the slopes of Mt. Mortar, an excited pair of eyes focused on Hareta, having been watching him the whole time during the battle. "Excellent… He really is just a child. Perhaps…" the owner of the eyes murmured to himself.

* * *

Hareta's line about a fresh canvas was inspired by a scan from Nintendo Power's preview for Sonic Colors. I just thought it sounded cool how they're saying he's getting back on track without any gimmicks.


	30. Rocket Conspiracy

After Hareta had his rematch with Silver and Gold and Kotone battled a few of the Trainers along Route 42, the trio arrived in Mahogany Town. Hareta looked around the town, noting that although it had a Pokémon Center and a Gym, there was no Poké Mart. Gold said, "Mahogany Town sure seems like a quiet little town. Kind of makes me think of New Bark Town in a way." Kotone nodded, "I read about it in Pokémon Weekly. Their motto is 'Home of the ninja.' Apparently, there used to be ninja base somewhere around here long ago." The two boys nodded, glancing around some more.

Hareta asked, "So what should we do now?" Gold replied, "What else? Let's go heal our Pokémon at the Pokémon Center and go challenge the Gym!" Kotone groaned, "But I wanted to go visit the Lake of Rage! I've heard that it rains every day except for Wednesday, which causes the lake to flood. I want to see that for myself!" Gold said, "Relax, Kotone. We can stick around for a little while before we head out to Route 44 and the Ice Path. We'll have plenty of time to visit the lake." He then began to walk towards the Pokémon Center, Hareta and Kotone following him. As they passed a small shop that likely served to meet the needs of Trainers, Kotone noticed something sticking out of the top of the tree next to it and alerted Hareta to it. Although they were curious what it was, they followed Gold down the nearby slope to the Pokémon Center.

After dropping their Pokémon off with Nurse Joy, the trio headed over to the lounge area and began to mingle with some of the people there. One man asked them, "Have you seen this guy with a black cape?" When they replied that they didn't and asked why, he explained, "He keeps going back and forth between here and the Lake of Rage saying strange radio waves are being transmitted. I wonder who he is." After he left, Hareta asked, "What did he mean by radio waves?" Kotone explained, "I think what he's saying is that this man in a cape is saying that someone is sending out waves that can be picked up by radio. This usually requires an antenna or other broadcasting equipment to project the waves over a distance. I wonder why anyone would want to do that, though…"

They both turned to Gold as they heard him grumbling, "What's up with the radio on my PokéGear? All the regular stations have been replaced by this creepy tune I've never heard before." Kotone grabbed her PokéGear off of her bag and opened it, switching to the radio function. She tried to cycle through the radio stations, but the only thing that came through was an eerie tune called 'Radio Transmission.' She turned to Gold, "I've got the same problem with mine. And it's strange since this was working just fine earlier when I called my mom. What is going on in this town?"

A man heard what she said and came over, saying, "Yeah, all the residents here in Mahogany Town have been getting that on their radios for a little over a week now. No one's really sure what's causing it, but it's nothing compared to what's happening at the Lake of Rage now." Gold asked him what he was talking about, so the man said, "Normally, the Lake of Rage is filled with Magikarp and the occasional Gyarados. But ever since that radio signal started, almost all of the Magikarp have vanished from the lake, leaving violent Gyarados in their place. I've heard people who have gone up to the lake talk about one Gyarados that's really been driving people away."

Kotone asked, "Is there something unusual about it? What's it doing?" The man explained, "They say that not only is it wild, tipping over boats and scaring swimmers away, but it's apparently a red Gyarados." Gold asked, "A red Gyarados? But I heard that Gyarados are usually blue!" Hareta said to him, "They are. I remember that Cyrus' Gyarados was blue. Do you think the radio signals we heard about have anything to do with it being red or out of control?" The man shrugged, "I'm not sure what to think about the situation. All I've heard is that it's causing a lot of trouble for anyone who goes up to the lake. You kids be really careful if decide to go up to the Lake of Rage."

After he left, the trio looked at each other, Hareta saying, "Guess there's some real trouble going on at the lake. What do you guys think?" Kotone spoke, "After hearing that story, I think we should at least go up to the lake and see what's going on. If there really is a Gyarados going out of control there, then it's more important to help it rather than worry about a Gym battle." Gold said, "Uh, right. What Kotone said." As they left the lounge area, they headed for the front desk as Nurse Joy came out of the back with their Pokémon. They thanked her for taking care of the Pokémon, then left the Center and went past the shop to get to the gate leading to Route 43.

After passing through the gate, they began to make their way north down Route 43. A little ways down the path, they found another gate on the main road, though they also noted there was a path leading through tall grass nearby. Deciding to take the gate instead of the grass, they were instantly blocked by two people as soon as they stepped inside. Both were dressed in black and demanded that they pay them 1000 Poké if they wanted to go to the Lake of Rage. When they didn't immediately pull out their money, they were grabbed and thrown out, the two men telling them not to waste their time. Even though they had the money to pay, they decided that they'd rather not give their money to anyone who was so greedy and rude. So they took the path through the tall grass instead.

After walking through the grass for a bit and battling a couple of Trainers that were dotted along the path, they noticed that there were rain clouds up ahead, though the sun was still shining down as if they weren't there. As they approached the Lake of Rage, they began to get pelted by rain, which became a full downpour when they caught sight of the lake. They noticed a nearby house with a Fisherman standing near the door and hurried over to him, asking if they could come in for a few minutes. He agreed and opened the door, leading them inside.

While they sat down for a moment, the man introduced himself as the Fishing Guru. When Hareta asked about the Lake of Rage, he explained, "The Lake of Rage is actually a crater made by rampaging Gyarados. The crater filled up with rainwater due to the constant storms and the lake was formed. That's the story passed on from my grandpa's great-great-grandpa." Gold nodded, "So the Gyarados made the lake, and now they live in it along with Magikarp, right?" The Fishing Guru replied, "That's right, lad. It used to be that you could catch lively Magikarp here, but I don't understand what's happening now." Kotone nodded, thinking about what they had heard here and in town.

While Gold, Kotone, and the Fishing Guru sat with Pikachu, Buizel, Croconaw and Ralts, Hareta had moved over to one of the windows with Empoleon, Pichu, Minun, and Lucario. As Pichu and Minun played together on the floor, Hareta, Empoleon, and Lucario looked out the window at the lake, noting that it was close to flooding. As they looked, Empoleon looked down at Hareta and asked, "(Say Hareta, what did you do with that Metal Coat that Riley gave you when we left Iron Island? He said you could give it to Scyther or Onix to help them evolve.)" Hareta replied, "I remember, but I'm keeping it in my backpack for now. I have to think about who I want to evolve, since I don't know where you would find something like that." Empoleon nodded, thinking to himself that Hareta was certainly starting to focus on making sure he thought things through first.

As they turned to look out the windows again, Lucario spoke, "(That's strange… Isn't that a fogbank coming in from across the lake?)" Hareta leaned a little closer to the window to get a better look before saying, "Yeah… It is. Does fog show up during a rainstorm?" Empoleon said, "(If there was sun out, I could see it. But that seems a little unusual…)" He took a closer look before adding, "(And it looks like black fog, even though there aren't any nearby cities that could be putting soot into the air…)" Lucario spoke, "(And it appears when I focus my Aura and use it to look around…)" As the fog began to settle near the shore of the lake, Hareta noticed someone standing at the edge, looking out at the water. He asked, "Hey isn't that Silver?"

At Hareta's question, both Gold and Kotone stood up and came over to the window to look. Gold said, "It is Silver! What's he doing here?" Kotone shrugged, "Maybe he heard about what's going on here and came to see if there are any strong Gyarados." Hareta noticed a figure in the fog not far from Silver and said, "I think he's looking at whatever's moving around in the fog there." Gold nodded, "That must be it. Let's go see!" After thanking the Fishing Guru for letting them stop in his house, the trio left his house along with their Pokémon.

Arriving at the fence surrounding the lake, Gold called to Silver, though the red-haired boy only gave him a brief glance before turning back to the black fog. Everyone looked at the fog to see that the shape they had seen had seemingly disappeared. Suddenly, they saw it again as it burst out of the water almost right in front of them, revealing itself to be the red Gyarados! As it roared, Silver grinned, "Perfect. I've seen your anger, what your rage allows you to do. You're like a leader among the Gyarados that have appeared in this lake, so you'll definitely be a powerful addition to my team!"

When it was done roaring, the Gyarados turned towards Silver, as he was closest. Silver proceeded to send out his Magnemite to battle, calling for a Spark attack. Magnemite went flying towards Gyarados in an electric tackle, only to be knocked away by an Aqua Tail from Gyarados. Once Magnemite recovered, Silver ordered a Thundershock attack, zapping Gyarados with a small electric shock. It attempted to counter with a Twister, but Magnemite's Steel-type characteristics negated most of the damage. Silver decided to finish this battle now and had Magnemite use Discharge, which had a powerful effect on Gyarados and left it paralyzed for the moment.

Taking advantage of this, Silver used a Net Ball to catch it. The ball shook a few times before the button stopped flashing red and it gave off a few sparkles to confirm the capture. After picking it up, Gold called, "Hey that was pretty good, Silver. You know, if you ever want to battle me some time, I'd be glad to give you a good battle!" Silver replied, "If I ever feel like challenging another weak Trainer, I'll let you know. Besides, I need to go heal my Pokémon since I haven't done that yet." Hareta asked, "You mean you haven't healed them since our battle? Why not?" Silver said, "Because I needed a replacement for that bird. This Gyarados will do nicely." He then walked away before anyone could say anything else, heading for Mahogany Town.

After Silver left, Kotone looked where the Gyarados had fallen while it was paralyzed, amazingly not landing on the fence, and noticed something glittery on the ground. Bending down, she found it was a Red Scale. She said, "Wow, this is really pretty. I don't think Silver will mind if I keep this. Might come in handy in the future." After she put it in her bag, she stood up and looked at the lake along with Hareta and Gold, noticing that the fog was still present. As they looked, they heard a voice behind them say, "That red Gyarados wasn't acting right. As I feared, somebody must have forced it to evolve…"

Turning around, they saw a man with red hair wearing a black cape that was red on the inside, black boots with two orange lines going around the top, and a dark blue outfit that had black cuffs and orange stripes mixed in. Standing next to him was a Dragonite, which had the same concerned look on its face as they looked past the trio at the lake. The man then turned his attention to the approaching trio and asked, "Did you three come here because of the wild tales?" They replied that they did and introduced themselves and their Pokémon, the man introducing himself as well, "I'm Lance, a Trainer like you three. I heard about the situation at the lake and came to investigate… I happened to see you three battling earlier when you were coming here. I wasn't spying on you; I was merely interested in the way you were battling. I can tell that you're Trainers with considerable skill, Kotone, Gold, and Hareta. If you don't mind, could you three help with my investigation?"

Gold said, "Sure, we'll help, Lance!" Lance smiled, "Excellent! It seems that the Lake of Rage's Magikarp are being forced to evolve. A mysterious radio broadcast coming from Mahogany Town is probably the cause." Kotone spoke, "We were wondering about that too. Our PokéGear radios were functioning fine before we arrived in Mahogany Town, and now all we're getting is some weird broadcast." Lance nodded, "I see. And that suspicious souvenir shop…" After a moment, he said, "I met with a member of the International Police a little while ago. I'll fly ahead and tell him about this. Meet us at the shop when you three are ready. I'll be waiting." With that, his Dragonite bent down and allowed him to get on its back, taking off for Mahogany Town afterwards.

After he left, the trio recalled some of their Pokémon and Gold called out his Pidgeot and they climbed on top of it. Pidgeot then took off for Mahogany Town as well, though Lance's Dragonite was well out of range by now. After a quick stop at the Pokémon Center, they headed for the town's shop and walked inside. Once they were inside, they saw Lance and his Dragonite, as well as Koya and his Mamoswine! They arrived just as Koya was telling Mamoswine to use Take Down, which knocked one of the men in the shop against the wall.

Turning towards the door, Lance noticed the trio and said, "Ah, you made it. What took so long?" Kotone replied, "We were just making a quick stop to make sure our Pokémon were fully healed." Koya nodded as his Mamoswine came over to him, "A wise decision. This shop is definitely the source of the radio signal." Lance stepped up to the owner of the shop and forced him to stand aside. Looking at what seemed to be a large cabinet, he said, "The stairs are right here." He then gave it a hard push, pushing it aside and revealing the staircase. He looked at Koya and the trio saying, "We should split up and investigate this place. I'll go first." After Lance and his Dragonite disappeared down the stairs, Koya and his Mamoswine stepped over to the stairs. He looked at Hareta and said, "Just like old times. Let's try to avoid getting into any arguments this time." He then followed Lance down after recalling his Mamoswine, followed afterwards by the trio and their Pokémon.

Outside the shop, Jessie, James, and Meowth had taken notice of what transpired. Jessie said, "Looks like those kids have stumbled onto something big." James nodded, "Perhaps there's a veritable vault of valuables down there." Meowth spoke, "Yeah, a real chance to get some big money! Let's get to it, you two!" They then dashed into the shop and rushed for the stairs in the back before either of the two men in the shop could do anything to stop them. Unfortunately, they were going so fast and were so close that they ended up falling down the stairs, landing face-up on the floor.

Hareta turned around when he heard them land, asking, "Jessie? James? Meowth? What are you guys doing here?" While they were collapsed in a pile, they whispered something to each other before they stood up and James said, "Listen kids, I know we haven't exactly been the best of allies in the past, but it's clear you've stumbled onto something big and we really want to help." Gold said, "No way! Why would you guys want to help us when we're in a Team Rocket base?" Jessie asked, "This is a Team Rocket base?" Kotone pointed a thumb at a nearby Persian statue and said, "We figured since there's an 'R' at the base of that. And it would make sense that they'd be behind the radio signals after they cut off Slowpoke tails back in Azalea Town and made several other attacks."

The former members of Team Rocket were shocked to hear that the organization had apparently been running without them. They crouched and huddled together, whispering again. "How could Team Rocket have still been operating without us knowing? There must be some mistake!" James whispered. Jessie whispered back, "That's impossible! They couldn't have been working without us! It must be a lie!" Meowth reminded her, "Don't forget, Jess! Dey're brats, dey always tell da truth!" James snapped his fingers, "I know! They must have been getting things ready for this moment! They've been preparing for our return!" Meowth grinned, "Hello! Dat's gotta be it, James!"

Standing back up, Jessie said, "You three are making a mistake! We're no longer part of Team Rocket! We've been on our own, trying to find ways to make a living!" Gold looked at them, not convinced, "And stealing Pokémon is one of those ways?" Meowth wagged a finger, "Can't make a living without tryin' everything, kiddo! Dat means dere's bound to be a couple bumps along da way!" James added, "Now we want to get back at those remnants of our past! Put a stop to Team Rocket and protect the world for real!"

Although the group was still a little wary of the former Team Rocket trio, they agreed to their help since it was bound to be a big base and full of Team Rocket members. So after they got dealt with a pair of Grunt guards past the Persian statue and came across two hallways, they split up to start searching the base. As the two trios split up, Jessie, James, and Meowth grinned to themselves. As soon as they announced that they were back, they would be able to swarm the kids and that would be the end of them for good.

A little later, Kotone located the control system for the alarms and, after defeating the Scientist guarding it, shut the alarms down to give them a little less trouble to worry about. After a little more wandering through the halls, they found a staircase leading deeper into the hideout. Gold and Kotone went down first with Buizel, Pikachu, Ralts, and Cubone. Hareta looked around a moment after they had walked down and was about to follow them when, as soon as he set his foot next to the stairs, a black void suddenly opened beneath him! He barely had time to look down and say "Uh oh!" before he suddenly fell through it!

**At the Lake of Rage**

Faust floated above the surface of the lake, his feet seemingly touching the water as he stood above the surface. He was in the middle of the lake, surrounded by the black fog where no one could see him. He had been floating over the lake during the time Silver had captured the red Gyarados and had been watching Hareta the whole time he was there, continuing to spy on him when he went back to Mahogany Town after he had gotten a lock on his Aura signature.

"Excellent. I got him before he even had a chance to alert anyone. Now we'll see just how much he knows and what he's capable of," Faust murmured to himself. He turned around, his torn cape flowing behind him as he walked into the fog, vanishing as he did. Once he had vanished completely, the fog over the lake disappeared, as he had only needed it to remain completely hidden from view.


	31. Double Attack

Sorry about the wait for this chapter. I guess my inspiration was a little lacking for this one. Not to mention that this is the longest chapter I've written for a story so far.

* * *

**Sandgem Town, Mitsumi's house**

The front door of the house opened, Mitsumi stepping out with a tray holding several mugs in her hands. She walked over to a nearby outdoor table, three of its four seats occupied by Kaisei, Johanna, and Professor Rowan. As she got close, she said, "Here, My grandfather made you all some herbal tea." Everyone thanked her as they took a mug and she sat down in the empty seat between Kaisei and Professor Rowan.

As they enjoyed their tea, Kaisei asked, "Hey professor, I heard you were in the Kanto region four years ago studying with another professor. Did you help Mitsumi find her grandfather before or after that?" Professor Rowan replied, "Some time before that. After she left Team Galactic and became my assistant, I helped her look for any living relatives since… Well, her parents…" Mitsumi spoke, "It's alright, professor. I've come to terms with the fact that I'll probably never meet them, alive or dead." The professor nodded, "I see." Johanna sighed to herself, "_She never knew her parents, but unlike Hareta, she doesn't know whether they're alive or not… I hope they're out there somewhere and she can meet them someday…_"

After a moment, Kaisei continued, "So when you two got back, that's when you allowed Hareta to become a Trainer, even though he's still not old enough to qualify as a one?" Professor Rowan nodded, "Yes. It seems leaving him with me was a good idea after all. After four years, his interactions with Pokémon, while still unusual, were still as strong as that time when that meteor carrying Deoxys crashed in the forest. Somehow, things worked out despite you leaving him just so you could travel." Kaisei, somewhat irritated, replied, "I told you the day after that that wasn't the only reason for leaving him! I was thinking of his safety too!" Johanna placed a hand on his arm and said, "Calm down, Kaisei. Don't get worked up." Kaisei nodded at her, "You're right." He turned back to Professor Rowan and said, "Sorry about that, professor. Guess I got annoyed for no reason." The professor replied, "It's alright."

Mitsumi asked, "What do you mean you were thinking of his safety? I mean, clearly it would be better to leave a baby with someone you know rather than put it in, say, an orphanage, but you sound like something came up in a short time." Johanna said, "Something did, Mitsumi. Kaisei wanted to start off traveling the following morning, so we spent the rest of the day together. But that night, we were attacked by Pokémon that Kaisei said had no voice. They seemed to be controlled by mysterious people in an effort to capture him; they said they needed what he knew about the Distortion World. We managed to help the Pokémon calm down and drive the people away, but Kaisei was convinced that someone was out to get him and would do anything to capture him."

Mitsumi nodded, "So that's what you meant. By leaving Hareta with Professor Rowan when he was too young to be able to fully remember his father, there was less of a chance that he would be targeted." Johanna sighed, "It was such a hard decision to make before then, but after what happened, I was more willing to go along with it to keep my little boy safe. Kaisei and I stayed in contact while he was traveling, but we didn't see each other again until some months after Team Galactic, the group responsible for the attack, was permanently dissolved."

Mitsumi muttered, "So even that long ago, Charon was already planning to take control of Pokémon so he could get money and power… Can't believe he kept his true purpose for joining the team hidden for that long." She then asked, "What did you do in the years you were separated?" Johanna replied, "I did some traveling of my own. It felt nice to travel with my Pokémon again, even if it was just around the region compared to Kaisei's world travels." Kaisei laughed, "Now Jo, I haven't seen the whole world! Besides, I already agreed not to leave for an extended period of time without telling you. And I haven't done that yet." Johanna replied, "Yes, and there's no telling when you will. Still, you've been handling staying home rather well."

Professor Rowan turned to Mitsumi and asked, "Is it true that Hareta seemed a little different when you met up with him in Hearthome City? Both Johanna and Kaisei mentioned that to me." Mitsumi shrugged, "He didn't seem very different to me. He sure seemed like the usual ball of energy that we're so fond of." She then looked to the sky and said, "I just hope he's doing alright. He's clearly not goofing off in Johto, but… I don't know. I feel like there's something in Johto that's going to be even more dangerous than Team Galactic was."

**The Johto Region, in a cave**

A black void appeared on one of the walls, the black hole swirling somewhat as if it were a vortex. Suddenly, Hareta appeared inside, being pushed towards the opening by some unknown force. The void deposited him in front of it, the boy landing on his butt with a grunt. As he looked up, he wondered, "Where am I?" While he said this, the black void behind him closed and disappeared, the stone wall behind it once again visible.

After checking inside of his backpack to make sure everyone else was okay, Hareta stood up and looked around. Apart from a nearby rock, a ledge, and a few rocky rises, he couldn't see anything that really struck him as unusual. "What was that thing that opened up beneath me? And where'd it take me?" he asked himself, noting that, despite being inside of a cave, it was bright enough for him to see the entire room he was in clearly.

As he was about to start searching for a way out, he heard someone call to him, in a moaning sort of voice, "Come… Come to me…" Hareta stopped in his tracks and turned around, hearing the voice call from behind him. Although the moaning worried him a bit, he felt drawn to the voice for some reason. He climbed onto a rise that was closest to where he heard the voice from and looked to the back of the cave, seeing a hole in the wall at the very back. He began to make his way towards it, listening to the moaning as he walked. When he reached the hole, he noticed that it seemed to be a tunnel and it was dark. He held up a hand and focused, causing a light blue flame to engulf his hand and create a bit of light. He then continued walking, going inside the tunnel.

**Team Rocket HQ, second floor basement**

Gold, Pikachu, Buizel, Kotone, Ralts, and Cubone reached the bottom of the staircase, stepping off the bottom step onto the floor. Near another hallway, they found Lance and his Dragonite waiting for them. He waved to them and, when they got to him, asked, "Are you both alright?" Kotone said, "Yeah, but we got into a few battles on our way here." Lance nodded and pulled out some Full Restores, "Here, give your Pokémon some of this medicine. They'll feel better." They both bent down and used the medicine to heal the spots where their Pokémon had gotten hurt.

While they were doing so, Lance noticed they were missing a member and asked, "Where's Hareta?" Both Gold and Kotone looked behind them at that and realized Hareta wasn't there. Gold spoke, "I know he was behind us when we were upstairs. Where could he have gone?" Kotone said, "I'm not sure he went anywhere. At least not on foot. I heard him approaching the stairs as I came down. If he went a different way or used a Pokémon to Teleport, I would've heard it. Still, that doesn't make sense that he'd just disappear like that…"

Lance spoke, "We have no choice. We'll have to keep going and hope that he's alright. Koya is up ahead; I'm going to go meet up with him. Let's do our best for the Pokémon." They both nodded and watched him go before following him down the hall. As they made their way through the HQ, they ran into a few more Grunts before finding another set of stairs.

After climbing down the staircase, the duo and their Pokémon saw Koya's Growlithe dealing with another Rocket Grunt while Lance and his Dragonite watched. Noticing them, Lance came over and said, "Gold, Kotone! In order to unlock the door to the radio-transmitter, you need the voice of a certain person. The name of the person is Petrel, a Team Rocket Executive!" At this, Gold said, "I know that guy! He attacked the ship we rode on to Cianwood City! Where is he?" Lance continued, "Koya has found out that he's hiding in their leader's office. Unfortunately, that room is also protected by a password… We must find the password to their leader's office!"

With that information, Gold and Kotone went in one direction to start looking for the password, while Lance and Koya went separate ways to search as well.

**Elsewhere in the hideout**

Jessie, James, and Meowth looked like they had been caught in an explosion or two, as they had a few black spots on their bodies. After separating themselves from Gold and his friends, they had come across a floor with multicolored tiles lining it. Not knowing that there were Pokémon that knew Selfdestruct under the tiles, they had skipped across the floor, thinking that they were close to the boss' office, only to be promptly blown up several times as they tried to cross the floor.

Eventually, they made it across the other side, groaning as they fell off the final tile and onto the floor. Before they could stand up, they were surrounded by several Rocket Grunts, one of them asking, "Who are you three? Intruders?" The trio stood up quickly and Jessie said, "Of course we're not intruders! We're Jessie, James, and Meowth, genius!" James added, "We've been away for a while, but now we've come back to give glory to the name Team Rocket!" Meowth spoke, "Yeah! If you don't believe us, den just take us to see da boss!"

At that, the second Grunt said, "I remember someone mentioning a Jessie and James with a Meowth. They're in the room up ahead." The third Grunt said, "Better show these three to them. Maybe that'll clear things up." They then motioned for the trio to follow before walking towards the door the trio had been going for. They followed behind, giddy about coming back to the team and taking care of their enemies at the same time.

**Meanwhile, inside the cave**

After following the tunnel for a while, Hareta had entered what seemed like a dead end, as it emptied into a square-shaped room that was mostly made of stone. He had also noted that the voice had stopped talking to him, so he was about to turn around and go back when part of the stone slid open, revealing another tunnel that was lined with several candles that had eerie black flames. After moving the duffel bag to his shoulder, Hareta went into the passage, following a set of stairs down and heading for the opposite end.

Arriving at the other end of the passage, a sliding door opened, revealing a large circular room with a set of stairs and a strange black hole in the ground. As he stood in the center of the room, it suddenly became brighter, allowing him to see completely. The sound of footsteps sounded behind him, coming from the stairs, Hareta turning around to see a figure with long white hair wearing a spiky blue mask and a black, frayed cloak coming towards him. As it stood a few steps from the bottom, the figure spoke, in a voice that made Hareta shiver, "We meet at last… Son of Dia."

Taking a moment to settle the chill that the figure had created in him, Hareta said, "I don't know who you are, but you're making a mistake. My father's name is Kaisei. I don't know anyone named Dia." The figure replied, "So you don't know… I am Faust; like you, I know how to use Aura. I brought you here so we can speak." Hareta asked, "You were the one making that moaning earlier? What'd you bring me here for?" Faust replied, "Education. Now that I can see you up close, it's clear that you're not very experienced in Aura use yet, as well as not knowing what it means to be sensitive to Aura."

Hareta asked, "What are you talking about? So I can do stuff that not everyone can. I know that. Besides, I really need to help my friends deal with a group of bad people!" Faust chuckled, "Bad people? Aren't all humans bad?" Hareta replied, "No! How could you say something like that?" Faust calmly replied, "You seem to be a traveler. Think about your travels; can you honestly say that you've never come across humans who have thought only of themselves and only inflict pain on others? Humans seek power, and will do whatever it takes to obtain that power for their own use. But you are different."

Hareta angrily asked, "What are you talking about?" Faust replied, "You were born with an unusually powerful Aura; that is how you can summon it and use it. If humans or Pokémon ever found out about this ability, what do you suppose they would do?" Hareta remained silent, Faust answering, "They would be in awe of your power, maybe even respectful, but in the end, they would fear it as you grew stronger. You saw how shocked the ones with you were when you unleashed your power on the Darklings I sent to that island."

Hareta gasped, "You're the master they were talking about?" Faust answered, "Yes. Humans and Pokémon are imperfect beings, clinging to false hope and delusional things such as friendship. The devastation that would've been caused on that island would've begun to sow the seeds of fear, preparing them for what I desire." Hareta asked, "And what do you desire?" Faust replied, "All will be revealed in time. But first, I want to know your name." Hareta said, "…Hareta."

Faust pulled out his hands from underneath his cloak, saying, "Hareta. I am reaching out to you for a reason. Even though you have only begun to learn about Aura, you will surely become very powerful. With such power, you could put an end to all selfish desires." He then held out a hand towards Hareta, "Come with me, Hareta. I will complete your training in the ways of Aura. We shall then put an end to the mistakes done to this world and make it perfect. It's only fair to give back to the people of this world what they would eventually intend for you. Your ancestors surely suffered a similar fate; it's no wonder the Aura Guardians are all but extinct. You have every right to want justice."

Hareta, who had been looking down at the ground throughout Faust's speech, spoke after a moment, "That's ridiculous." He then glared up at Faust, "Whatever it is you're after, you can leave me out of it." Behind his mask, Faust's eyes narrowed as he said, "You're saying that if the world were to be engulfed by flames, you wouldn't mind if all humans and Pokémon use it as an excuse to hunt you down and trap you behind an energy seal for all eternity? You would continue to believe in false human emotions?" Hareta answered, "There is nothing false about believing in others. Together, our emotions and trust will make us strong, and those who seek power are too full of themselves to believe it. In the end, who I am is what will determine what will happen to me."

Faust said, "What a pity." He then whipped his cloak back to reveal the torn and unrecognizable outfit underneath. He held out a hand, a black Aura Sphere forming that caused wisps of dark light to come out of the black hole behind Hareta. These wisps took on the shape of the monsters Hareta had seen on Iron Island. Seeing that he was surrounded, Hareta removed his backpack, unzipped one of the zippers, and swung it, Poké Balls flying out as he did. While they were in the air, they opened and sent out his Pokémon friends. Empoleon, Luxray, Misdreavus, Lucario, Quilava, Grovyle, Minun, Scyther, and Onix appeared, all of them going near Hareta, ready to help their friend.

**Back with Jessie, James, and Meowth**

The trio had waited impatiently for several minutes while the Grunts talked to someone over their communicators before they were told that they could enter the room. Going inside, instead of their boss, they saw a man and a woman wearing the basic Team Rocket outfit with their backs turned to them. The woman had long yellow-orange hair that split in two down her back, while the man had short green hair. Recognizing the woman's hairstyle, Jessie groaned, "Oh it couldn't be…" At that, the two began:

"A shrieking whine, a blast from the past!"

"Spinning like a Gyro Ball and moving fast!"

"(turning around) To the moon…"

"(turning around) And beyond…"

"WHAT A BLAST!"

"Administering justice at lightning speed!"

"Bashing the bad guys, should we feel the need!"

"So here's a newsflash from across the wire!"

"The real Team Rocket is now on fire!"

"Cassidy!"

"And it's Butch!"

"Shuck-uckle!"

"Teaching the losers a thing or two…"

"The true Team Rocket…"

"US, NOT YOU!"

Meowth yelled, "It's dose copycats, Cassidy and Bilge!" At that, Butch yelled, "I JUST TOLD YOU, IT'S BUTCH, NOT BILGE!" Jessie said, "Who cares what your name is! What I want to know is what could prompt you two losers to direct us away from the boss so that we can rejoin!" Cassidy snorted, "You three? Rejoin? You've got to be kidding! You couldn't protect master Giovanni from a pair of kids three years ago! It's no wonder you were fired when Team Rocket went underground."

Jessie growled, "How dare you, you brat! The boss would never throw away his three most important underlings! Team Rocket would be nothing without us!" Cassidy laughed, "You actually think you three have anything worthwhile that Team Rocket needs? How much longer are you going to delude yourselves?" Butch added, "If you three are so important, how come you never heard that the surviving members of Team Rocket were going underground, huh? If Petrel, Proton, Ariana, or Archer thought you three even existed, one of them would've contacted you from the warehouse in the Sevii Islands!" James asked, "There was a Team Rocket warehouse in the Sevii Islands? What for?" Cassidy said, "For one thing, it was for regrouping. And secondly, we were helping Professor Bomba work on this brilliant plan before we were attacked." Suddenly, Cassidy's communicator rang and she answered, a voice on the other end shouting, "IT'S NAMBA, YOU IDIOT!"

Jessie yelled, "I've had enough of this game! Cassidy, it's time you and Botch got the message that your self-appointed importance is at an end!" Butch yelled, "I TOLD YOU, IT'S BUTCH!" Cassidy said, "Well guess what, Jessie! The only ones with self-appointed importance are you three, and it's about time you were shown that you're all outdated!" With that, she sent out her Granbull while Butch called out his Shuckle. Jessie and James responded by sending out Seviper and Carnivine, James having to get Carnivine off his head after it appeared.

**With Gold and Kotone, in the third floor basement**

Gold and Kotone approached the location of the Team Rocket leader's office. Having obtained the passwords for the office from a female Grunt and a male Grunt, they had gone on ahead of Lance and Koya to go to the office and find Petrel. As they approached the door, Kotone stopped and said, "Wait, Gold. Somebody's coming!" Gold stopped at this and turned around, waiting near the wall with Kotone.

After a moment, the person was revealed to be Silver, who spotted them as he rounded the corner. Standing before them, he said, "So you're messing with them again. You must really like Team Rocket so much, Gold." Gold asked, "What's that supposed to mean, Silver?" Silver said, "…Tell me, who was the guy in the cape who used Dragon-type Pokémon?" Kotone replied, "He said his name was Lance. I think I've seen him somewhere before, but I can't remember. Why? Did something happen?" Silver answered, "My Pokémon were no match at all. I don't care that I lost. I can beat him by getting stronger Pokémon. It's what he said that bothers me… He said I don't love and trust my Pokémon enough, kind of like Hareta. I'm furious that I lost to another bleeding heart like him." Gold asked, "If everyone's telling you the same thing, what do you think it means, Silver? It must mean you're doing something wrong!" Silver replied, "Hmph! I don't have time for the likes of you, Gold!" He then shoved Gold and left.

As Gold stood up straight, he muttered, "Geez, what a grouch…" Kotone put a hand on his shoulder, "Just forget about him, Gold. We've got bigger things to worry about now." Gold nodded after a moment, then followed Kotone over to the door of the office. Kotone walked over to a panel next to the door, saying, "Okay, so the passwords are SLOWPOKETAIL and RATICATETAIL…" She entered both into the panel, pressing the "ENTER" button after entering each one. After both were entered, the panel turned green and the door slid open.

Walking inside the office, they noticed a man sitting behind a brown desk with a laptop. He was wearing a black hat and was clad in a black suit. Seeing the two, the man said, "Muhahaha, we've been waiting for you. Welcome, Gold and Kotone…" Kotone spoke, "Uh, who are you supposed to be?" The man replied, "Me? You don't know who I am? Why, it is me, Giovanni. The majestic Giovanni himself! Wahahaha!" Gold said, "Yeah, um, you might think you look like the guy, but I know that voice, and I'm sure Giovanni doesn't sound or look anything like that, Petrel." At that, 'Giovanni' asked, "I don't sound like Giovanni? Or even look like him? But I've worked so hard to mimic him!"

After saying that, the man whipped off his disguise and leapt out from behind the brown desk. Landing, he stood up, showing his yellow-lined Team Rocket uniform and purple hair and beard. Looking at Gold with his hands on his hips, he said, "I must say I'm impressed, Gold. I didn't think you'd remember me after so long." Gold replied, "Enough with the flattery, Petrel. I'm sure you know what we're doing here!" The Executive nodded, "You're trying to break into the radio-transmitter room, I'm sure. Well, I'm afraid that's not going to happen. That room is protected by a special password, which is 'Hail Giovanni.'" Kotone sweat dropped, "That doesn't sound like the sort of thing you'd just tell anybody." Petrel said, "You're understandably surprised. However, knowing the password won't help you. The door won't open unless I say the password. It only reacts to my voice. But right now, we've got a score to settle, Gold!"

Petrel sent out his Zubat after saying that, so Gold sent out his Sudowoodo to battle first. Petrel started by calling for Supersonic, Zubat releasing sound waves from its mouth that caused Sudowoodo to cover its ears. While it was distracted, Petrel ordered a Poison Fang, so Zubat flew towards Sudowoodo with purple fangs. Gold countered by calling for a Block attack, Sudowoodo crossing its arms in front of its chest, which made Zubat bounce back, the purple fading from its fangs. Gold took this chance to call for a Double-Edge attack, Sudowoodo slamming into Zubat with a lot of power but taking no damage thanks to Rock Head. After Zubat managed to keep itself airborne, Petrel called for a Wing Attack while Gold ordered a Slam attack, both Pokémon rushing towards each other. Sudowoodo dodged Zubat's glowing wings and brought a fist down on top of it, sending Zubat into the floor.

Petrel recalled Zubat and said, "Seems you've learned a few things since last time. Alright, go Raticate!" The Poké Ball he threw opened, releasing the Mouse Pokémon. Gold recalled Sudowoodo and sent out Tyrogue, the Scuffle Pokémon taking up a battle pose upon appearing. Gold called for a Mach Punch, Tyrogue dashing towards Raticate and slamming his fist into it, sending it flopping backwards. Petrel countered by ordering a Quick Attack and Raticate responded by zooming through the air, slamming into Tyrogue and knocking it back. Petrel then commanded Raticate to use Hyper Fang, causing it to jump up and land on Tyrogue, sinking its front teeth into his shoulder; Tyrogue shivered at that, the attack causing it to flinch. Raticate was then told to use Crunch attack, while Gold told Tyrogue to dodge it. Just as Raticate was about to strike again, Tyrogue disappeared, having had his speed increased due to his Steadfast ability. Gold then called for a Tackle, Tyrogue slamming into Raticate's back before following up with a Hi Jump Kick, which sent it flying into the wall.

Petrel calmly recalled Raticate and then sent out his Koffing without a word. Gold decided that Tyrogue had been through enough already and recalled him, sending out Pidgeot. Petrel ordered a Smog attack, so Gold countered with a Gust attack, Pidgeot flapping its wings to blow away the smoke that Koffing released. He then called for a Quick Attack, which caused Pidgeot to go flying straight into Koffing, sending it flying past Petrel and into the desk. It then fell to the ground, defeated.

Gold grinned, "Way to go, Pidgeot! That was great!" The bird chirped happily at that, snuggling up against Gold. Petrel said, "Not bad, Gold. Better than I thought." Kotone asked, "Hey, what's the point of doing all this? Why are you trying to bring Team Rocket back?" Petrel explained, "Since disbanding Team Rocket three years ago, our boss, Giovanni, has been missing. But we're certain he's been waiting for the right time for our revival…" Gold said, "Well, that chance ends today! Team Rocket's getting disbanded here before it causes any more trouble!" Petrel laughed, "Hah! Being defeated by you won't change the fact that you're still unable to get in the radio-transmitter room! You need my voice to unlock it!" He then looked at his defeated Koffing and said, "Use Smog!" At that, Koffing released the gas in its body again, catching everyone off-guard.

The gas managed to block everyone's vision before Gold called for another Gust attack. When it was cleared, Gold and Kotone saw that Petrel had managed to escape in that short amount of time! Gold growled, "Dang it! Now what are we supposed to do if we don't have his voice?" Kotone noticed a Murkrow in a cage in the corner of the room, just behind the desk. She walked behind the desk and opened the door to the cage, seeing as there was no reason for it to be left alone. It hopped to the door, its talons wrapping around the raised steel. As it stood there, it spoke, "Hail Giovanni."

Both Gold and Kotone were surprised that the Murkrow was able to speak, but they were even more surprised when they realized it was mimicking Petrel's voice! Kotone asked, "Hey, do you think you could help us?" As if to answer her, it spread its wings and took off flying, repeating, "Hail Giovanni." Both Kotone and Gold chased after it after Gold returned Pidgeot to its Poké Ball.

**Meanwhile, at Faust's altar**

Hareta and his Pokémon friends were doing their best to fight back against Faust and his Darklings, but things seemed to be going in Faust's favor. Hareta was able to use Aura Sphere to help his Pokémon fight back, but every time they took down one, two more came out of the black hole to replace it. All attempts to close or cover it didn't seem to work, and Faust was exhibiting Aura abilities far beyond Hareta's, as well as a few abilities that didn't seem to be Aura-based. By this time, only Empoleon, Lucario, and Grovyle were still out, but they were really exhausted.

After punching one of the smaller Darklings away from him, Hareta was about to go help one of his Pokémon when he noticed Faust coming at him out of the corner of his eye. Turning around, he caught Faust's hands, the two pushing against each other in a battle of strength. Faust managed to overpower Hareta, pushing him back with one hand while he slammed his chest with an uppercut. Hareta groaned as he was sent up, feeling Faust's black Aura in that punch. While he was in the air, Faust leapt up after him, grabbing the side of his face with his left hand and punching him in the face with his right. This sent Hareta towards the floor, the boy yelping as he hit it on his back, his backpack and duffle bag cushioning the impact a little.

As he stood up, Hareta was suddenly blasted by a wave of black lightning, Faust launching it from his fingertips! As he stood there, crying out as he was electrocuted, Faust said, "You understand my power now, don't you? Have you reconsidered your decision?" As he stopped shocking him, Hareta managed to hold himself up on his legs and said, "I'm not afraid. I'll never serve you!" Faust shook his head and dashed towards the boy, having to jump to the side when Hareta launched a quick series of small Aura Spheres at him. "_He may be nowhere near his level, but this boy is almost as powerful as Enta was already…_" Faust thought to himself.

Eventually, Empoleon, Lucario, and Grovyle were hurt to the point where they were struggling to remain standing. As the Darklings surrounded them, Faust began to approach an equally battered Hareta. The boy tried to back up, but tripped and fell over, landing on his front. As he tried to push himself up with his hands, Faust sighed, "Such a pity, having to waste a perfectly good servant. But no matter. Anyone who has power and won't stand with me must be destroyed. Still, I commend you for your bravery, so I will make sure you don't feel a thing." As he began to gather his black Aura into his hand, Hareta attempted to muster the strength to get out of the way, but couldn't. It wasn't just because he was exhausted and badly hurt. For some reason, it felt like his Aura was trying to come out.

As Faust was almost done gathering energy, he noticed that Hareta was beginning to glow a light blue color. For some reason, it almost seemed like a blue fog was appearing, even though it was actually a light that was being tinted by the blue glow on Hareta's body. "No matter. Whatever this is, this should-" Faust was cut off when Hareta suddenly rolled onto his back and shot to his feet, swinging a fist into Faust's arm. This sent it towards his torso, the collected Aura energy slamming into his chest and exploding, sending him flying against one of the stone walls! As Hareta turned his attention to the Darklings surrounding his friends, Lucario noticed that there seemed to be a glow coming from the duffel bag hanging against his side.

Hareta dashed towards the Darklings, disappearing as he neared the closest one before reappearing and slamming what seemed to be a Focus Punch into it, breaking it instantly! He then leapt up and held out both hands beneath him, launching Aura Spheres in rapid succession. This destroyed the rest of the Darklings, Hareta landing and immediately checking his friends to make sure they were okay. Faust grunted as he stood up, gaining everyone's attention. "I don't know what this technique is, but I will make you regret turning my own attack back on me!" he yelled.

As Faust seemed ready to attack again, Hareta turned towards the black hole and held out a hand, a fully charged Aura Sphere appearing at his fingertips almost instantly. He fired it at the black hole, a blue flash being briefly seen as it disappeared within. Seconds later, a bunch of Darklings came out of it, but there was a significant difference. For some reason, the Aura Sphere had sent them all into a raging panic, causing them to attack wildly at anything they saw, even their master. As he watched this, Empoleon asked, "(Hareta, what's going on? How are you doing this?)" Hareta replied, with a slightly deeper tone of voice, "We'll worry about that later. We've gotta get out of here, and I've got an idea how."

After having Grovyle grab onto his back, Hareta pointed both arms towards the ceiling, focusing his Aura into them. He then fired two light blue beams of Aura at the ceiling, aiming at certain points. Faust saw this as he tried to get away from his angered minions and he realized what Hareta was trying to do. After a few moments of firing at the ceiling, the cave began to rumble as the ceiling began to break apart! As it seemed like it was going to come down on top of them, Hareta grabbed Empoleon's wing and Lucario's paw before focusing the remaining bit of Aura into his legs, dashing through the still-open sliding door while holding onto his friends. Faust, having been knocked over by a punch from one of his bigger minions, could only watch as the ceiling fell on top of him.

Somehow, Hareta was able to see the world as if he was focusing his Aura in his eyes. Thanks to this, he not only made it back to where Faust had teleported him to, but soon managed to find his way out of the cave, emerging from the center entrance to Mt. Mortar, his Aura running out just as he made it to the entrance, causing him to fall over and slide across the grass while Empoleon and Lucario managed to either remain standing or put their arms out to stop a fall as they stopped, while Grovyle slid across the ground after letting go of Hareta.

As Empoleon, Lucario, and Grovyle looked at Hareta, a bright flash emanated from him for a minute before fading, revealing that the light blue glow was gone. After a moment, Hareta groaned as he pushed himself up, "Oh man, what did I just do? I just had a big burst of power and now I feel like I got chewed up…" Grovyle said, "(That's natural, boss. You're gonna feel like someone beat you with a club when you get a burst of energy and then have to calm down suddenly. Still, that was some overdrive of Aura you displayed!)" Hareta muttered, "Aura… Overdrive… Huh."

Empoleon and Lucario came over to Hareta, Empoleon kneeling down and helping Hareta lean against him, saying, "(Besides being exhausted, do you feel alright, Hareta?)" Hareta nodded, "Yeah, I think so. I just need a second to catch my breath before I can get my medicine and stuff out of my backpack." Lucario walked to his side and said, "(I'll get it. Just relax right now.)" Hareta nodded as he relaxed against Empoleon's middle, the Emperor Pokémon having draped a wing over him. As Lucario pulled out the first-aid kit and some Full Restores out of the medicine pocket, he eyed the duffel bag, remembering that a glow could be seen from within after Hareta had turned Faust's attack back on him.

Lucario took a few minutes to apply the Full Restores to himself, Empoleon, and Grovyle before doing the same with the first-aid kit, cleaning some of Hareta's wounds before putting bandages on them. He then turned back to the duffel bag and began to unzip the zipper. Grovyle came over and asked, "(What are you doing, Lucario?)" Lucario replied, "(I saw some kind of glow come from the bag when Hareta started glowing. I'm just checking to see if something happened to the object we found.)" Opening the flap, Lucario peered inside, noticing something off about the wrapped up object. Pulling it out, he saw what it was that seemed off; the wrapping looked a little bit loose, but that seemed to be because the object was not as bulky as it first appeared. "(Odd…)" Lucario murmured to himself, beginning to unwrap it so he could retighten the wrapping. But as he finished pulling the wrapping off, everyone gasped at its new appearance.

When they first found it, the object vaguely resembled a sword that was being protected by a brown cocoon. Now, perhaps because of the burst of Aura, the brown had disappeared and revealed the object's true appearance. It was a sword, made of a blue metal with a long, narrow blade. The hilt of the blade appeared to be connected by an orange ring that had three clouds on it, the ring seeming to be rotating around as they looked at it. In the center of the handle was a round hole.

After looking it over for a bit, they remembered what was going on in Mahogany Town and realized they had to get back. Lucario quickly wrapped the sword up again, being careful not to tear the wrapping on the blade's sharp edge, and put it back in the duffel bag. After zipping it up, Hareta put it over his shoulder and they headed towards Mahogany Town, going slowly since they were still a little sore from the battle.

Eventually, they made it to the second floor basement of the hideout, just in time to see a Murkrow fly past them. Hareta noticed Gold and Kotone at the other end of the hallway and called to them, both of them stopping as Hareta, Grovyle, Empoleon, and Lucario came over. Upon seeing the bandages Hareta had, Gold asked, "Hareta, what happened? Why are you covered in bandages?" Hareta huffed, "It's a long story… And since I'm late, it can wait…"

Before anyone could say anything else, a voice said, "Why don't you just tell them now? You won't get another chance after I'm through with you!" Kotone recognized the voice and turned towards the way they had just come to see a familiar red-haired Executive approaching with a Grunt. She exclaimed, "Ariana! What do you want?" Ariana replied, "Simple. First of all, we can't let brats like you three do as you please forever. It'll hurt Team Rocket's pride over and over again. Making it lessen, you see. And second, I want revenge on you for humiliating me back on Route 34!" Kotone said, "Don't give me that! What you did was a coward's tactic! I beat you fair and square in spite of it!"

Ariana smirked, "Maybe so, but you're the only one of this motley trio that's close to full capacity. Your two boy toys are clearly exhausted due to battling so much. So no matter how strong you may be, Kotone, if the two of us fight at the same time, you'll have little chance of winning with your friends hurt. Don't you agree?" Kotone didn't answer her, knowing that she was right about Hareta and Gold; she could tell Hareta had been through an ordeal, and most of Gold's team was weakened thanks to the many Grunts around the hideout. Ariana giggled, "Hee hee hee! Sorry, little girl. Now, get ready to be thrashed."

Suddenly, Lance and his Dragonite showed up, along with Koya and his Growlithe. Lance said, "Hold it! Taking advantage of weakened allies to force a two-on-one battle? That is so unfair! Typical of Team Rocket to be so sneaky! Allow me to help you, Kotone!" Lance's Dragonite let out a cry at that, Kotone nodding at both of them. Ariana spoke, "What? You have more accomplices? Where's your sense of dignity?" Kotone replied, "Oh, this coming from someone who tried to hold me captive and just now tried to gang up on me? C'mon, if you're an Executive, act like one!" Ariana said, "As interim boss in place of Giovanni, I'll show you how wrong it is to meddle with Team Rocket!"

Ariana sent out her Arbok while the Grunt sent out a Drowzee; Kotone responded by sending out her Togepi and Lance had his Dragonite come forward. Lance had Dragonite fly up, which distracted both Ariana and the Grunt, so Kotone had Togepi use Sweet Kiss on both Drowzee and Arbok, the two of them seeing stars after they were struck by the hearts Togepi sent out. Dragonite took advantage of their confusion and struck with Fly, the power sending both of them flying into the wall behind their Trainers.

After recalling them, Ariana sent out her Murkrow while the Grunt called for his Grimer, the only other Pokémon he had. Kotone and Lance made short work of them, Kotone telling Togepi to use Extrasensory on Grimer while Lance told Dragonite to use Thunder on Murkrow. When both moves hit their intended Pokémon, they quickly fainted.

Ariana growled, releasing her last Pokémon, a Gloom, while Kotone kept Togepi out. Ariana told her Gloom to use Sleep Powder, Gloom releasing a blue powder from its flower, so Kotone called for a Safeguard, wanting to keep Togepi from falling asleep, as well as prevent any other status ailments. The green barrier protected Togepi from the blue powder, Kotone countering Ariana's attack by calling for Metronome. Togepi wagged its fingers for a few seconds before pointing them towards Gloom, blue energy suddenly gathering between them. It soon compressed into a sphere, the energy being released as an Aeroblast! This not only made Gloom faint, but it also caused some damage to the hideout.

Ariana recalled her Gloom, saying, "You really are powerful. It's too bad. If you were to join Team Rocket, you could become an Executive." Kotone replied, "Save it, Ariana. You're through, and so is Team Rocket." Ariana smirked, "That's what you think. The broadcast experiment was a total success. It doesn't matter what happens to this hideout now. We have much bigger plans." Koya stepped forward, about to arrest her and the Grunt, but the lights suddenly went out for a moment in the hideout, and when they came back on, Ariana had vanished! As they looked around, her voice echoed, "You'll come to appreciate Team Rocket's true power soon enough. Enjoy yourselves while you can… Hee hee hee…"

Koya growled, "Blast! We could've captured one of Team Rocket's current leaders!" Lance turned to Gold and Kotone and said, "Sorry about not showing up sooner. I saw how good you two were doing, so I held back. Now all that's left to do is to turn off that odd radio signal." Everyone walked into the radio-transmitter room, Lance and Koya walking over to the machine to look for a way to shut it off. After a few minutes of looking at it, both Absol and Dragonite nodded at their Trainers. Lance turned back to the trio and said, "It looks like we have no choice. We have to make all the Electrode powering this machine faint. There's no switch to shut it off." He shook his head, "That should stop this machine from transmitting that strange signal, but it's not the fault of the Electrode, so it makes me feel sad."

Koya looked at Hareta and said, "You guys have battled enough. You should let your Pokémon rest while we take care of this." Lance turned to Koya, "I'll take this side of the machine, you take the other." Koya nodded and went around to the left side while Lance went to the right.

**Somewhere in the hideout**

Cassidy's Granbull was smacked away by a Poison Tail from Jessie's Seviper, while Butch's Shuckle was struck with a Bullet Seed from James' Carnivine. Cassidy was about to call for another move when her communicator started beeping. Answering it, she found it was Ariana, who told her that the experiment was finished and that it was time to put their real plan in action.

Hanging up, Cassidy turned to Butch and said, "Butch, we're done here. It's time to pull out." Butch was about to yell at her when he realized she said his name right, so instead he asked, "You mean the experiment's finished?" Cassidy nodded, "It's time for Team Rocket to return officially." She then turned to Jessie and said, "Too bad you won't get a chance to share in the glory, you old fossil. But that's what happens to losers; they get swept aside!" She then told her Granbull to use Roar, her Pokémon roaring so loud it sent Jessie, James, Meowth, Seviper, and Carnivine flying back into the hallway, over the booby trapped tiles. While they were stunned from this, Cassidy and Butch made their escape, mentioning Goldenrod City as they ran.

Jessie growled as she stood up, "I can't stand that Cassidy! How dare she call me old and bail out just when I had her where I wanted her!" Meowth said, "Relax Jess, dey're da bad guys! And dey mentioned something about Goldenrod City. Maybe dat's where dey're going!" James said, "That's gotta be it, Meowth! But maybe we should try to find the boss before we go after them." Jessie turned to them and yelled, "No way! We're going after those two now! No one gets away with calling me old!" Suddenly, their stomachs growled, so Jessie sighed, "Well, maybe we could get a nibble before we go after them…"

**A short while later, in front of the shop**

Hareta, Gold, and Kotone stood in front of the shop with Lance and Koya. After the two had defeated all of the Electrode, they promptly left the hideout after hearing that the odd signal had stopped. Looking at the sky, Lance spoke, "Hareta, Gold, Kotone, Koya… The journey to fulfilling a dream is long and difficult. Knowing that, will you all keep going?" Gold said, "Of course, Lance! If we gave up that easily, none of us would've chased our dreams in the first place!" Lance nodded, "I see. And you're right. I look forward to seeing you all again!" He then turned and headed in the direction of Blackthorn City, his Dragonite following close by.

Hareta turned to Koya and asked, "What are you going to do now?" Koya replied, "I got the Glacier Badge from the Mahogany Gym a little while ago, so I'm going to start getting my team ready for the Johto League competition in a few months. I'm also going to be on the lookout for any remaining members of Team Rocket. If you manage to get enough badges before the league starts, I'll be looking forward to battling you." With that, Koya turned and headed in the direction of Ecruteak City with his Growlithe.

After the full day of battling they went through, everyone decided that the Mahogany Gym could wait until tomorrow. So they headed for the Pokémon Center to heal and relax for the rest of the day.

The following day, Hareta removed the bandages to find that the injuries he'd suffered while battling Faust had already healed, which surprised him since some of them were a bit severe. During breakfast, he told Gold and Kotone about what had happened, which surprised them. Still, they thought what Hareta was doing was cool, and said they would help him train any way they could. Afterwards they went to the Mahogany Gym to battle for the Glacier Badge.

A bit later, they exited the gym after both Hareta and Gold had won a Glacier Badge and Pryce told them that they would all be together with their Pokémon for years to come, reminding them to cherish their time together. They thanked him before leaving, saying goodbye to the man with white hair, a long white scarf, a blue jacket, and brown pants and shoes.

Just after stepping outside, Gold's PokéGear rang; seeing that it was Professor Elm, he picked it up. The professor's voice spoke, "Gold, how are things? I called because something weird is happening with the radio broadcasts. They were talking about Team Rocket. Do you know anything about it?" Gold asked, "What do you mean they're talking about Team Rocket?" The professor said, "Maybe Team Rocket has returned… No, that just can't be true. Sorry to bug you, Gold. Take care!" With that, he hung up.

Gold clicked the touch screen on his PokéGear, selecting the radio function. Immediately afterwards, a voice spoke, "…Uh… Um, testing! Testing 1, 2, 3… We're the amazing Team Rocket! It's been three years, but we've rebuilt the team and restructured! We're proud to announce we're back!" As Hareta listened, he thought, "_The radio tower takeover… It's happening now!_

* * *

There are a couple of references in here. Feel free to comment on them if you want.

Music:

Afternoon Tea Conversation - Lake Hylia (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)

A Moan in the Cavern - Twilight Realm (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)

Attacking the Hideout - Team Rocket Hideout (Pokémon HGSS)

Hareta Meets Faust - Seymour's Theme (Final Fantasy X)

Faust's Temptation, Hareta's Resolve - Mephiles' Whisper (Sonic the Hedgehog (2006))

Giovanni's Office - Team Rocket Battle (Pokémon HGSS)

The Aura Overdrive - Take Your Life (Lucario and the Mystery of Mew)

A Blade's True Form - Amaterasu Returns (Okami)

The Last Executive - Egg Hornet (Sonic Adventure)

It Never Ends - Rocket Tower Takeover (Pokémon HGSS)

Tsumugari appears in Okami, which is copyright Capcom, Clover, and Ready at Dawn Studios.


	32. Team Rocket's Last Stand

**Goldenrod City, Radio Tower**

In the lobby of the Tower, a Team Rocket Grunt, presumably some sort of leader, was addressing a large group of Grunts from behind the reception desk. He spoke, "Alright, listen up all of you! As you all know, Leader Archer's plan to take over the Radio Tower has been a spectacular success so far. However, we can't get lazy now. According to his fellow Executives, a group of children may be on their way to undermine this plan."

One of the Grunts raised his hand, "Excuse me? What possible danger could a group of kids pose to an indestructible organization like Team Rocket?" His question sparked a spirit yell from the other Grunts until the first Grunt ordered them to settle down. He then spoke, "I know it doesn't seem likely that children could be dangerous, but Proton, Ariana, and Petrel have said that they are. Each of them has said to have been beaten by these kids twice already. They may pose a serious threat to this plan if they show up. Executive Archer has ordered that we patrol the city to make sure they don't get inside the Tower. Here's a photograph of the kids in question. If you see them, let everyone else know immediately." As he said the last sentence, he brought up a picture of Gold, Kotone, and Hareta on the TV screen behind him, the picture having been taken before they had shut off the security system back at the Team Rocket HQ.

Among the group of Grunts looking at the photo, most of them new members recruited just for this mission, were three familiar faces. Gold, Kotone, and Hareta stood amongst their enemies, dressed in Team Rocket outfits. They wore these over their regular clothes, their hats hidden under the flat caps on their heads, and each had their bag with them. Each of them also had a Pokémon out, Hareta's Misdreavus floating above his left shoulder, Gold's Elekid standing next to his right leg, and Kotone's Ralts hanging onto her right shoulder. All three of them had their arms crossed over their chests, wearing the same steel gaze as most of the other Grunts.

_**Earlier...**_

_After hearing about what was happening at the Radio Tower and healing their Pokémon at the Pokémon Center, Hareta, Gold, and Kotone flew back to Goldenrod City with the help of Pidgeot and Crobat. Landing just outside the city, they walked through the south gate to find that Grunts were hanging around every corner. As they walked through the streets while trying to avoid as little attention as possible, they came across their old friend, Bill. He quickly told them to come to his house, which was just past the Game Corner._

_Inside, after being introduced to Bill's mother and sister, they asked Bill what happened at the Radio Tower. He replied, "I can honestly say I didn't know what had happened until after it did. Just the other day, we were listening to some music on the radio, and not long after we woke up today, there's been this announcement about Team Rocket's return on every station. I never expected them to still be around after what happened at the Sevii Islands three years ago…"_

_Kotone said, "They've got to be stopped once and for all! But if we try to get inside the tower, they'll be all over us, or at least won't let us get near the upper floors. If only there were a way to get inside without them knowing we're there…" Bill perked up at that and said, "You know, there might be a way for you three to do just that." Hareta asked, "What do you mean, Bill? How can we get inside without alerting them?"_

_Bill explained, "It seems like Team Rocket did a lot of recruiting for this operation of theirs. I know that these thugs ain't the brightest stars, but some of the things we've been hearing today have been pretty sad, even for them." Gold asked, "So what does that have to do with getting into the Radio Tower?" Bill said, "I'm gettin' to that! I overheard a Grunt telling some kid that he can get a uniform at the Goldenrod Tunnel, since, apparently, they've run out of uniforms."_

_Hareta asked, "Why would there be Team Rocket outfits in the Tunnel?" Bill's mom said, "There's a corner of the Tunnel where Trainers can have their picture taken with their Pokémon. They've recently added a new twist to it: you can have your picture taken while wearing a Team Rocket costume." Bill nodded, "Exactly. Since they said that they're out of uniforms, they're probably taking them from the Tunnel for any new recruits. If each of you could get a hold of a costume, you could probably get into the upper floors of the tower without them knowing!"_

_Gold said, "Whoa, that's a great idea, Bill! Where's this photo shop?" Bill replied, "There's an entrance to the Tunnel down just a ways from here. Follow the tunnel all the way to the end and it's near the other entrance." They thanked him for the advice and were about to stand up when his sister came up to him and whispered something to him. Bill said, "Oh yeah! Thanks for reminding me, sis!" He then turned back to the trio and said, "I've got a favor to ask you guys." He held out a Poké Ball and continued, "This Poké Ball contains an Eevee; it came over while I was adjusting the Wi-Fi back in Ecruteak City. Someone has to take care of it, but I don't like being outside. Can I count on you guys to play with it and take care of it?" Kotone said, "Sure, we'll do it! And I'll be its Trainer!" Gold groaned, knowing Kotone had beaten him to the punch. Bill smiled, "I knew you guys would come through! You're the real deal! Way to go!" He handed Kotone the Poké Ball and said, "Okay, I'm counting on you. Take good care of it!"_

_They said goodbye to Bill and headed for the Goldenrod Tunnel after leaving his house. Following the directions that Bill gave them, they soon found the gallery corner and headed for it. As they began to approach the desk, a Team Rocket Grunt suddenly stopped them, asking, "Hey, are you three newcomers too?" Gold said, "Yeah… That's right. We just don't have our uniforms yet." The Grunt replied, "Makes sense. We had to recruit new members for the Radio Tower mission. Then we ran out of uniforms. I heard this studio has some, so I decided to 'borrow' one. As long as you three are here, why don't you change as well?" He led them behind the desk and pulled out a box of Team Rocket uniforms. "See if there are any that'll fit you three. There aren't a lot left."_

_A few minutes later, the trio emerged from behind the counter, each clad in a Team Rocket uniform. The Grunt grinned, "Look at you three! Pretty good, no?" Gold looked in a nearby full-body mirror and said, "I guess it does look good, all things considered." The Grunt spoke, "Oh, but you shouldn't try to scare people walking around looking like that, okay? And don't forget about the meeting in the Radio Tower lobby; it's going to be starting soon." They thanked him for letting them know and left the Goldenrod Tunnel, heading for the Radio Tower._

**Present…**

"Everyone understand? Good. Squad 1 is assigned to guarding the streets to watch for these kids, while Squad 2 is assigned to protecting the Radio Tower itself. You know what squad you're a part of, so get going!" Once the Grunt was finished, about half of the Grunts left the Radio Tower to patrol the streets, while the other half went up the nearby staircase to their guard posts. Soon, only Kotone, Gold, Hareta, and their Pokémon were left in the lobby.

They approached the stairs with their Pokémon, stopping in front of the Grunt guarding them. He looked at their uniforms and said, "Ha! You three must be new! All of you look pretty good in the Team Rocket uniform! I guess you're part of Squad 2, so go on ahead!" He moved out of the way, standing next to the staircase. As Kotone went up the stairs first, she thought, "_This is going to work out fine!_"

Suddenly, they heard the sound of footsteps coming up behind them, a familiar voice saying, "Hey, Team Rocket! Stop going around in groups and troubling people. You cowards!" Kotone muttered to herself, "Irony… So we meet again." Gold thought to himself, "_Silver? How did he find out about this?_"

Silver suddenly glanced over at Hareta, who was standing behind Gold, and noticed the difference in size, thinking he was another Grunt since Hareta had his back to him. He asked, "Aren't you a little short to be a Grunt?" Hareta muttered to himself, "I wonder where he got that from…" Silver heard the sound of his voice and said, "That voice… Are you Hareta?"

Hareta began to sweat buckets while Gold and Kotone turned around to hide their faces. Silver grabbed Hareta by his shirt and pulled him back, saying, "I thought so! What are you doing here? What, do you think you're strong now that you look like them?" He began to tug on Hareta's outfit, Hareta struggling and saying, "Hey, let go of me!" Silver's response was, "Forget it! You shouldn't be wearing those things!"

After a moment of struggling, Silver yanked the Team Rocket outfit off of Hareta, dropping it on the ground as Hareta stumbled forward. Seeing his real clothes, the Grunt gasped, "What? You! You're one of those kids we were told to watch out for!" With that, he sent out his Raticate to battle Hareta. Hareta had Misdreavus battle against Raticate, taking it out easily with a Power Gem attack. The Grunt sent out another Raticate, which was easily defeated with a Psybeam from Misdreavus.

Having lost both of his Pokémon, the Grunt groaned, "Y-you're strong…" He stood up straight, "You really are as powerful as the Executives said. You could spoil our plan. I have to inform the others…" With that, he dashed up the stairs, passing Gold and Kotone as he went to warn the rest of the squad.

Gold and Kotone turned around, Kotone coming back down the stairs as Gold said, "Thanks a lot, Silver! We could've saved ourselves a little aggravation if you hadn't messed things up!" Silver said, "So you were trying to be sneaky… Huh! A typical idea of the meek! No matter. You three can handle this. I have to defeat the Dragon Tamer… What did you say his name was…?" Kotone asked, "You mean Lance?" Silver nodded, "Yes, Lance! After that, I'll get to you and Hareta, Gold. Be ready for it!" He then left the Radio Tower without another word.

While Gold and Kotone ditched their uniforms, Hareta picked his up off of the floor and looked it over. Amazingly, Silver had pulled it off without ripping it at all. He sighed, "Well, so much for that plan." Kotone said, "True. But maybe we can still use these. At the very least, we'll be able to move around on the streets without being recognized." Gold nodded, "Yeah, that's a good idea, Kotone! Besides, taking out the Grunts on the way up means they won't be able to gang up on us when we're trying to take down this Archer guy!" With that, they slipped the uniforms into their bags and proceeded up the stairs.

Upon reaching the second floor, they found Team Rocket Grunts spread out all over, as well as a few Scientists amongst them. Knowing there was no way to sneak around all of them, Gold, Hareta, and Kotone got busy, battling anyone who saw them and wasn't part of the Radio Tower staff. On their way up, they learned from a woman being held in the tower that Team Rocket's leader had locked himself behind a door requiring a Card Key. She also mentioned that the Director could open it, so they took the nearby stairs up, which would lead them to the Director's Office.

After a few more battles on the following floor, they climbed the stairs up to the Director's Office. Near the top, they heard a man say, "Ahem, do you hear me? …I am the Director. We have decided to broadcast wonderful shows to praise Team Rocket! Everyone, I don't want to hear you complain. Just do a good job to…" The voice's owner stopped in mid-sentence as the trio arrived in the office, the man stepping back from the desk as he said, "Yikes! I am busy impersonating the… Who are you three?" Taking a closer look, the 'Director' recognized them and said, "…Oh no, it's you three again?"

The person pulled off his outfit, revealing that he was Petrel! The Executive groaned, "No, no, no! I was pretending to be the Director to influence the entire region to support Team Rocket!" Gold said, "Well, too bad, Petrel! We made it past your security, so now it's your turn!" Petrel replied, "Don't think it'll be so easy, Gold! This time I won't hold back! Give me all you've got!"

Petrel's team consisted of five Koffing and a Weezing, all of his Koffing knowing either one or two moves. With the help of Gible, Bayleef, and Pikachu, Gold quickly made short work of Petrel's team. Seeing that he was beaten, Petrel groaned, "Okay, okay. I'll tell you where the real Director is." All three of them listened carefully as Petrel continued, "We stashed him in the underground warehouse. It's at the far end of the Goldenrod Tunnel. I am a nice guy. I will give you the Basement Key to get to the underground warehouse. Take it with gratitude!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gray key that had a key ring attached to it and tossed it to Gold. Suspicious, Gold asked, "Why are you giving us this? We're your enemies!" Petrel replied, "I just told you: I'm a nice guy. Besides, there are Grunts patrolling the streets, and I doubt you'll get far enough to see the Director anyway." Accepting this as enough of a reason, the trio left the Director's office, Petrel sitting down and leaning back in his chair.

After reaching the ground floor, Hareta called out Lucario to help him sense where the Grunts outside were. Despite there seeming to be quite a few Grunts in Squad 1, most of them seemed to be guarding dead-end streets, leaving the main streets open. And even though they were supposed to be guarding, most of them seemed to be messing around, trying to scare little kids or talking to each other. Lucario formed a path they could follow to the nearby Tunnel entrance, since Hareta couldn't see very far yet. Following his path, they quickly made it to the Goldenrod Tunnel without running into any trouble.

Following Petrel's directions, they soon found themselves past the all the shops in the Tunnel, arriving at the short hallway that led to the locked doors. As they started walking down it, they noticed a Kimono Girl up ahead, who turned around at the sound of their footsteps. Seeing them, she walked up to them and spoke, "Team Rocket members in black suits have been running around… I was wondering what was going on. So you three took on Team Rocket?" At their nods, she said, "That is impressive! Perhaps the Legendary Poké…" She realized she had almost said more than she should have and spoke, "Hahaha! Never mind. I must go now." She then walked past them, twirling around as she went.

Although Gold, Hareta, and Kotone were curious what it was that she almost told them, they continued on to the locked door. After slipping the Basement Key into the keyhole, Gold turned it and, after removing the key, the door opened. Past the door, they found a staircase that led to part of the underground warehouse, which was likely filled with Grunts. Before they could start searching, they heard the sound of footsteps behind them and turned around to see Silver coming down the stairs. Gold asked, "Now what do you want, Silver? Haven't you messed things up enough already?" Silver replied, "What I said before was to deceive you. I thought it would let me tail you and lead me to Lance."

Kotone said, "Lance left us yesterday, heading for Blackthorn City. Who knows where he is now, though." Silver said, after a moment, "…No matter. I was planning to deal with you after Lance, Gold, but since you're here, I will repay my debts now!" Gold replied, "Normally, I'd say this isn't the time for this, but I think that smug attitude of yours earns an exception, Silver! And since you're so confident, why don't we make it a sudden death battle?" Kotone sighed to herself, "He never can resist a challenge, especially not one with high risks."

Silver agreed to Gold's proposal and sent out his Pokémon first, choosing the red Gyarados. In response, Gold sent out his Elekid to battle, who looked ready to battle despite being unnerved by Gyarados' size. Silver led off with an Ice Fang, Gyarados' front fangs glowing light blue as it sent two bolt-like beams of energy at Elekid. Gold told Elekid to use Shock Wave, which was beaten back by Gyarados' attack, the two beams striking Elekid.

Elekid was fazed, but it didn't freeze, so Gold called for a Swift attack, Elekid striking Gyarados with stars that it released from its mouth. Silver retaliated by calling for an Aqua Tail, a stream of water spiraling around Gyarados' tail as it moved to strike Elekid. Although they were cramped, Elekid managed to avoid the attack and retaliated with a Leer attack. Avoiding the follow-up Bite attack that Silver ordered Gyarados to do, Gold told Elekid to use ThunderPunch, its fist glowing yellow and sparks surrounding it. It struck Gyarados' crest, which seemed to be a very sensitive spot for Gyarados, as it was blown back by the hit and got paralyzed. Silver called for a Hydro Pump, but Gyarados was too paralyzed to carry out his order, so Gold called for another Shock Wave, Elekid releasing a stream of electricity at Gyarados after whirling its arms around.

The attack had enough power to bring Gyarados down, the Pokémon collapsing with swirls in its eyes. As he looked at it, Silver muttered, "…Why… Why do I lose? I've assembled the toughest Pokémon. I didn't ease up on the gas. So why do I lose? …I don't understand. Is what that Lance guy said true? That I don't treat Pokémon properly? Love… Trust… Are they really what I lack? Are they keeping me from winning?" Gold called, "Hey Silver! What's wrong with you?" Silver looked at him and said, "I… I just don't understand. But it's not going to end here. Not now. Not because of this. I won't give up my dream of being the world's greatest Pokémon Trainer!" He then recalled his Gyarados back to its Poké Ball, turned around, and left the warehouse.

Gold asked, "What was up with him? He almost looked like he was concerned with what happened." Kotone said, "Maybe what everyone's been telling him is finally starting to have an effect. But we've got work to do now, so let's leave him to figure out what he's going to do and go help the Director!" Hareta agreed, "Yeah, Silver probably just needs some time to think, just like I did." Gold nodded, wondering if Silver was indeed beginning to understand what it means to care for Pokémon.

The trio eventually made it to where the Director was being held, after figuring out a sequence of switches and battling all the Grunts blocking their way. They found him hidden behind a crate, appearing to be unharmed but unaware of what was going on at the Radio Tower. Seeing him, Kotone asked, "Mr. Director, are you alright?" The Director asked, "Who? What?" Hareta said, "Don't worry, sir! We came to rescue you!" He replied, "You did? Thank you! Wait! What's happening at the Radio Tower?" Gold spoke, "It's been taken over by Team Rocket! Their leader's sealed behind a door that requires a Card Key!" The Director reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the Card Key; he handed it to Hareta and said, "That will open the shutters on the third floor. You've got to stop them. I'm begging all of you to help. There's no telling what they'll do if they control the transmitter. It might even be possible to control Pokémon with a special signal! Please, save the Radio Tower… and all the Pokémon nationwide!" The trio replied that they would and took a nearby staircase up to the Department Store, the Director choosing to stay behind until Team Rocket was defeated.

After arriving in the basement, they boarded the elevator to go up to the first floor, glad to see that it was empty. During the ride, they put on their Team Rocket disguises, being fully dressed by the time they reached the first floor. They quickly exited the store when they saw the receptionist was about to get hostile towards them. Walking through the streets, none of the Grunts they passed seemed to know who they really were, thankfully, allowing for a quick return to the Radio Tower.

Walking into the lobby, they saw Jessie, James, and Meowth trying to find out from the scared receptionist where their boss was. They quickly walked past them, hoping to avoid wasting their time with them. They were halfway past the reception desk when James spotted them and called, "Hey! Do you three know where the boss is?" They stopped walking and turned around slightly, enough so that part of their faces could be seen. Seeing their faces, Meowth said, "Hey, you're dose kids we've been running into a lot! What are you doing here?" Hareta shrugged, "Playing dress-up?" Jessie yelled, "No! You're twerps! Twerps don't play Team Rocket! Get out of those right now!"

A few seconds later, Gold, Kotone, and Hareta were back in their normal outfits. Jessie said, "That's better. Now, do you three have any idea where the boss is?" Meowth yelled, "What you asking dem for, Jess? How are dey gonna know?" Kotone said, "Actually, we know where one of them is. Petrel is in the Director's Office on the fifth floor." Jessie said, "When I asked for the boss, I meant Giovanni!" Hareta said, "Giovanni's not here. And he's not coming here either." Gold added, "Even if he was, Petrel still happens to be one of the heads of Team Rocket right now. Why don't you go see him instead?" Jessie growled, "Little brats… Fine! Come on, you two! We might as well see this Petrel person!" She then walked towards the stairs, James and Meowth following after her slowly. Gold and his friends followed behind them but kept their distance.

After Jessie, James, and Meowth went up the stairs leading to the Director's Office, Gold and his friends went past the stairs to the locked door. Sliding the Card Key through the slot, the door opened and they climbed the stairs just past it. Reaching the top, they found Executive Proton standing in front of the next set of stairs. He spoke, "Well, look what we have here. Looks like Archer called it right; you kids just have to keep sticking your noses where they don't belong." Gold said, "Look buddy, we don't have time for you today! Just get out of our way!" Proton replied, "You kids just like making me mad, don't you? Be careful!"

Hareta spoke up, "You think your anger makes you strong? Just try me!" Proton growled, "I've had just about enough of you, brat! I'll make you pay for what did to me back at the Slowpoke Well and the Glitter Lighthouse!" As Hareta pulled out a Poké Ball, he whispered to Gold and Kotone, "I can take care of this guy. Leave him to me and go after the leader." Although they were a little reluctant to leave Hareta to face Proton alone, they agreed and, after Hareta's Scyther and Proton's Golbat started battling, snuck past them and up the unguarded stairs.

At the top, they soon came across the elevator leading to the Observation Deck. Gold boarded the elevator first, but the doors shut before Kotone could get on! Before she could call to Gold or try to get the doors to open herself, a voice behind her spoke, "Hey, you…" Kotone turned around to see Ariana standing there; she asked, "What'd you do to the elevator? What are you going to do to Gold?" Ariana replied, "I'm not going to do anything to him. He can take the elevator to the Observation Deck if he wants. But you're not getting on until you face me! Hee hee… Now you're really all alone. So this should be quite easy. Bring it! Let's finish this!" As Kotone reached for a Poké Ball, she heard Gold calling to her. She called back, "I'll be fine! Just go on! I'll catch up to you!" She then sent out her Togepi while Ariana sent out her Arbok.

Gold decided to trust what Kotone said and pressed the button on the panel, the elevator humming as it went up to the sixth floor.

**Meanwhile, in the Director's Office**

Jessie, James, and Meowth reached the top of the stairs and found Petrel behind the Director's desk, seeming very at ease with everything. Jessie said, "Hey, you! Are you the Petrel we've heard about?" Petrel glanced at her and said, "Yeah, that's me. And who are you three? Those red outfits of yours look similar to the ones that Grunts in training wore three years ago." James said, "Well, our old Team Rocket outfits fell apart over the years, so we had to go with something else that was Team Rocket based that also wouldn't attract any attention." Meowth added, "But we've been waiting all dese years to get back to stealing for such a great organization!"

After hearing Meowth speak, Petrel took a closer look at the trio for a moment before saying, "Oh, so you must be Jessie, James, and Meowth. Butch and Cassidy mentioned they saw you at the hideout in Mahogany Town." Jessie fumed, "Cassidy was here? Where is she? I'm going to make her pay for insulting me!" Petrel shrugged, "You're a little late for that. Archer fired both of them for failing to respond to the attack that occurred. They're on their own with no help." This surprised the trio, James asking, "You mean… They've been fired from Team Rocket?" Petrel nodded, "That's right. Just like you three were."

This shocked them even further, Meowth yelling, "Wait a minute! What do you mean we were fired?" Petrel replied, "Just that. You failed Giovanni far too many times when you were a part of the team. The only reason that Butch and Cassidy were kept as long as they were was because they had their smart schemes, but like you three, they got lazy and now, they've been terminated, just like you." Jessie yelled, "What are you talking about? We never failed any of the missions that master Giovanni assigned us!" Petrel smirked, "So I suppose that letting those kids get away with those fossils, letting Mr. Fuji get rescued from the Pokémon Tower, and failing to protect Giovanni at Celadon City and Silph Co. were all the result of him telling you to do so? I think not. Failures like those are of no use to Team Rocket, and, combined with some of your other failures, were more than enough to give us a reason not to have you go underground with the rest of the team."

By now, Jessie, James, and Meowth were beginning to get worried at what was coming, James asking, "So… There's no second chance for us?" Petrel straightened up in his chair and said, "You got that right. Even if our plans weren't in danger of falling apart right now, there would be no place here for you three." Jessie stuttered, "But… You're joking…! Right?" Petrel looked her straight in the eye and said, "Since you don't seem to get it, I'll just say it. You three were fired three years ago, and you never had a chance of coming back! You'd better hope you can get whatever work you've been doing for the past three years again, because that's the only job you three will probably ever get!" That was the final blow necessary; Jessie, James, and Meowth were crushed.

**On the sixth floor, the Observation Deck**

The elevator doors slid open, Gold stepping out with his Bayleef. Going around one of the corners, they saw a man with teal hair wearing a Team Rocket Executive uniform looking out over Goldenrod City. He turned around at the sound of their footsteps and, upon seeing Gold and Bayleef, said, "Oh? One of our enemies managed to get this far…? You must be quite the Trainer, Gold." Gold said, "Since you know my name, you must be the big-shot in charge of Team Rocket!" The man nodded, "That is correct. My name is Archer, but I am only in charge of Team Rocket for now."

Gold asked, "What do you mean by that?" Archer answered, "We took over this Radio Tower to officially announce our comeback. That should be enough to bring our boss, Giovanni, back from his solitary training. He must've already heard our announcement and is on his way now. Then we will regain our former glory…" Gold said, "Forget it! Giovanni's going to have nothing to return to once I get through with you!" Archer glared at him, "I will not allow you to interfere with our meticulous plans anymore!"

He then sent out his Houndour, while Gold sent his Bayleef forward. Gold called for Bayleef to use Razor Leaf, multiple leaves shooting out from Bayleef's neck at that order. Archer had Houndour counter with Fire Fang, its fangs being surrounded by fire as it chewed through the leaves. Gold then called for a Tackle attack while Archer called for a Crunch attack; Bayleef slammed into Houndour, but it was bitten near the base of its neck while doing so. Gold could still see an opening and told Bayleef to wrap its Vine Whip around Houndour's muzzle, the attack sealing its mouth closed. Bayleef then slammed it against the ground before following up with a Body Slam on its back, causing it to cry out in shock for a moment before passing out.

Archer recalled Houndour and said, "We can't have you getting in the way before news of our resurgence reaches Giovanni!" He then called out his next Pokémon, a Houndoom. Gold was about to call for a Vine Whip attack when Archer ordered a Faint Attack, Houndoom distracting Bayleef before slamming into it. While they were still close, Archer had Houndoom follow up with a Fire Fang, the attack hurting Bayleef badly. Gold managed to recall Bayleef right before Houndoom blasted it with a Smog attack, which could've been life-threatening for it.

Not ready to give up, Gold sent out Geodude to battle. Archer started by calling for a Smog attack, so Gold had Geodude use Defense Curl, Geodude balling up and bracing itself to avoid breathing as much as possible until the attack cleared. Gold then called for a Rollout attack, Geodude slamming into Houndoom with more power than usual due to the Defense Curl. Archer attempted to use Smog to stop Geodude, but it rolled right through the cloud and hit Houndoom again, knocking it onto its side. Houndoom managed to stand up as Geodude broke out of its rolling. Gold called for a Tackle attack while Archer commanded a Bite attack, the two attacks hitting their intended targets but Houndoom fainting shortly after being hit.

Recalling Houndoom, Archer muttered, "That's impossible…" He quietly sent out a Koffing, his last Pokémon. Gold could tell that Geodude had been through a lot already, so he recalled it and sent out Buizel to battle. Koffing began with Sludge while Buizel started with Water Gun. The two attacks struck and held for a moment before canceling out. Archer called for a Tackle attack next, while Gold ordered a Quick Attack. Again, the two attacks seemed to be even, as they kept hitting each other multiple times. Koffing then attacked with a Smokescreen, which was countered by a Whirlpool from Buizel. The vortex drew in all of the smoke, as well as Koffing. Buizel finished up by using SonicBoom, its tails glowing as it flipped around and fired a large white shockwave. The attack ripped through the Whirlpool and hit Koffing dead-on. After being struck, it fell to the ground, fainted.

Archer cried, "No! Forgive me, Giovanni!" After recalling Koffing, he muttered, "How could this be…?" He then looked at Gold and said, "Our dreams have come to naught. I was not up to the task after all. Like Giovanni has done before me, I will disband Team Rocket here today. Farewell…" After saying that, the shutters around the Observation Deck covered the windows and the lights went out for a minute. When they came back on, Archer was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, the sound of the elevator was heard and Gold and Buizel turned around to see Hareta, his Scyther, Kotone, and her newly evolved Togetic coming towards him. Hareta called, "Way to go, Gold! You beat Team Rocket's leader!" Gold smiled a little, "Yeah, we sure did. But I think he got away when the lights went out and the shutters blocked out the sun." Kotone said, "That's alright. It seems that the Director or someone else contacted the police while we were battling, since we saw Grunts being arrested from the windows. Since Ariana and Proton have also disappeared, I guess they, along with Petrel, managed to escape as well." Gold spoke, "Oh, then I guess it's okay if the leader got away too. He did mention he was disbanding Team Rocket after I defeated him, so I guess that's the last we'll hear from them." Hareta grinned, "Always nice to hear!"

**Later…**

After talking to the Director and learning a little bit about the Radio Tower's history, the group decided to spend the remaining daylight hours in Goldenrod City. They visited Whitney at the Gym, had some fun at the Game Corner, and Hareta got some Aura training in. They also returned their costumes and stocked up on supplies at the Department Store, knowing that they would have to cross the Ice Path to get to Blackthorn City, so it would be quite a trip.

During their night at the Pokémon Center, as everyone was sleeping with their Pokémon sleeping near them, Hareta eyes opened when he heard someone call his name. Being mostly asleep when he opened his eyes, he shrugged it off and shut his eyes again. The owner of the voice called for him again, a little louder this time, causing Hareta to wake up a bit. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes as he yawned, wondering who was calling for him. Looking around, he noticed Quilava, Minun, Luxray, Empoleon, and Misdreavus were still asleep, as were Gold, Kotone, and their Pokémon. Looking around a little more through his half-lidded eyes, he noticed a figure in a black cloak step through the door out into the hallway. Shaking his head to wake himself up a bit more, he slid his shoes on and unlocked the door, going out into the hallway.

He noticed the figure near the stairs that led down to the lobby and walked after it, following it down the stairs. When they reached the lobby, the figure stopped in the center, causing Hareta to stop a short distance behind it. Seeing that it had stopped moving, Hareta asked, "Hey… Who are you?" The figure turned around, revealing that it was the same man Hareta had seen back in Ecruteak City, and pulled its hood down. Hareta's eyes widened as he saw the man's face; it looked a lot like his father's face, even having a ponytail going down his back. The only real difference was that the man didn't have any facial hair. He spoke, "My name… is Hiori Dia."

Hareta looked at him in wonder; he remembered that Faust had mentioned the name Dia, calling him the 'son of Dia.' As Hareta looked at him, Hiori spoke, "I see that you have begun to train in the ways of Aura, and I can sense you encountered the evil that I told you about. I have come to tell you that his sinister presence is not so easily destroyed." Hareta asked, "You mean that Faust guy?" Hiori nodded, "He may be hiding himself to give you the impression that he has been defeated, but that darkness that refers to itself as Faust but is not the real Faust still exists. To be able to defeat it for good, you must continue your training. You must unlock your full potential."

Hareta said, "But how can I do that? I haven't learned very much about how to wield it to help me in and outside of battle. I don't know how to unleash my Aura to its fullest yet." Hiori replied, "There is someone who can teach you how. Go to the Dragon's Den in Blackthorn City. There, you will meet my son; he will help you train to master your Aura, as well as teach you how to wield that blade, Tsumugari." Hareta asked, "Tsumugari?" Hiori nodded, "That is the name of the blade you discovered on Iron Island. That is all I can tell you now. If you wish to continue your training and stop the dark presence, you must go to the Dragon's Den." After saying that, he began to fade away. Hareta called for him to wait, but he vanished from view.

After a few minutes, Hareta went back upstairs and returned to the room the group was staying in. As he climbed back into bed and under the covers, he thought to himself, "_I'll do it… I'll go to the Dragon's Den and meet his son. I'll never learn all I can about Aura if I keep training on my own. I need someone to help guide me, and maybe I'll learn more about Hiori and whether or not we're related._"

* * *

Once again, Tsumugari is a sword in Okami, which is copyright Capcom, Clover, and Ready at Dawn Studios.


	33. Revelations in the Night

**Goldenrod City Pokémon Center**

Hareta walked through the cafeteria in the Pokémon Center, carrying a bag of bread with him. Looking around the room as he walked, he stopped as he spotted what he was searching for: a toaster. Stepping up to it, he thought to himself, "_I was looking for this._" He then loosened the tie around the opening of the bag and put two slices of bread in. He stood by the toaster and waited, as he still needed it.

A couple minutes later, Hareta returned the bag of bread to where he had found it and walked over to the two tables that he, Gold, Kotone, and their Pokémon were using, carrying a large tray that had nothing but unbuttered toast on it. When he reached the table some of the Pokémon were at, he asked, "Who wants toast?" Luxray spoke, "(I like 'em crispy!)" Grovyle nodded, "(I like 'em crispy on the outside.)" Lucario smiled, "(You got that right!)" After distributing toast to all of the Pokémon and leaving some butter with them, he took his seat at the other table, across from Gold and Kotone, ready to eat his breakfast.

As everyone was enjoying their breakfast, Hareta asked, "Hey Kotone, what's Blackthorn City like? Do you know?" Kotone replied, "I don't know very much about it personally, but I've heard that it's the home of a Dragon Pokémon clan. Many of the strongest Dragon-type Trainers in the world come from Blackthorn City." Gold said, "Dragon Pokémon, huh? I'll bet that's the type of Pokémon the Gym Leader uses." Kotone nodded, "Wouldn't be much of a surprise if it turns out to be true. Since we have to pass through the Ice Path to get there, we should try to find some Ice-type Pokémon. That's one of the few types that Dragon-type Pokémon are weak against."

Hareta asked, "Are there any other types that they're weak against?" Kotone thought a moment, then replied, "The only other type they're weak against is their own. Most other types aren't very effective against them." Hareta nodded, "I see. I haven't seen a lot of Dragon-type Pokémon, so I was wondering." Gold said, "I think we'll be prepared if we get a little training in along the way. Gible's still having trouble with Draco Meteor, but he still knows a few other Dragon-type moves, plus all of our Pokémon have been strong enough to get us this far. We'll probably have to work hard in battle, but we'll still be fine." With that, everyone turned back to their respective breakfasts and went back to eating, talking a little more as they finished up.

After breakfast was finished and the plates were sent to be clean, the trio returned most of their Pokémon to their Poké Balls, Bayleef, Pichu, Minun, Quilava, Croconaw, and Togetic staying out. Stepping out of the Pokémon Center, Kotone asked, "Should we fly back to Mahogany Town? We'll save a few days travel if we do." Gold said, "Nah, let's walk back there. It'll save some strain on Pidgeot and Crobat, plus we'll have more time to practice with our Pokémon." Both Kotone and Hareta agreed, so they headed for the north gate, traveling towards the National Park and Pokéathlon Dome.

The trip back to Mahogany Town took about three days, due to the trio dropping by the Pokéathlon Dome to have some fun, as well as spending some time in the National Park and revisiting some spots in Ecruteak City. Whenever they stopped, be it for a meal or any other reason, everyone practiced with their Pokémon. Hareta also did some Aura training, Kotone and Gold helping him by giving him targets to aim Aura Spheres at or trying to help him focus his Aura into different parts of his body to see what effects it provided. Thanks to these sessions, his aiming and ability to hold an Aura Sphere began to improve, and he found he could move faster by focusing his Aura into his legs and gain strength by focusing it into his arms.

Hareta would also spend a little time with Tsumugari. Judging from what Hiori had told him, he'd be training to learn how to use it sooner or later, though he only mentioned the encounter to his Pokémon; he decided not to tell Gold or Kotone until later. Surprisingly, the blade was not as heavy at it looked; even Pichu and Minun were able to hold it if they used both hands. Still, they had to keep in mind that it was a real sword, made of steel rather than foam. It was also longer than the practice swords Hareta and Grovyle used, so the first step was learning to get used to how long it was.

After its reach was firmly set in everyone's mind, Hareta began to experiment with swinging it and learning basic swordplay. During these sessions, both Grovyle and Scyther would be there to instruct him on what to do, and Hareta was grateful for their help. There was no doubt, though, that it would take a while to really get the hang of it. Still, by the time they got back to Mahogany Town, Hareta was able to swing the blade precisely without the danger of falling over or tiring himself out too quickly.

After passing through Mahogany Town, they made it far enough down Route 44 to catch sight of the Ice Path. Even as far as they were, they could feel the cold air coming from within the cave and were sure that it would get even colder now that the sun was going down. Not willing to go all the way back to Mahogany Town to stay at the Pokémon Center, the group set up camp for the night, Hareta bringing out the cooking supplies he was given to make dinner for everyone. A short while later, everyone was eating the stew that had been prepared, all of them hungry after all the training they had done that day.

When dinner was finished, everyone spread themselves around the campsite, nobody ready to go to bed yet. Some of the Pokémon, like Buizel, Grovyle, and Luxray, sat down in or at the base of a tree, while others, like Pichu, Bonsly, Croconaw, and Cubone, stayed near their Trainers around the campfire. As he watched the stars with Gold and Kotone, Hareta thought about what Hiori had told him. He remembered Faust's bone chilling presence; even though he had done his best to keep a brave face during the battle, inside he was terrified by the man's presence. If it was going to take more than a cave-in to stop him, was it possible to stop someone so powerful? And strangely enough, it almost felt like he had met Faust before; beneath his cloak, he had a familiar scent, though Hareta wasn't sure why it was familiar.

His thoughts were interrupted when he, as well as Gold, Kotone, and the Pokémon saw the stars vanish from view. Looking closer, they saw that it was due to a cloud that seemed to be swirling around. After a few minutes, Noctowl, who had been perched up on a tree branch, started calling to the Trainers. Hareta went over to the tree and climbed up to the branch it was perched on so he could hear clearly. He asked, "What is it? What did you see?" Noctowl spoke, "(It's not actually a cloud! Over the mountains, maybe above Blackthorn City, is an opening, like a vortex!)"

Hareta asked, "A vortex? You mean like a whirlpool kind of vortex?" Noctowl nodded, "(Yes, it's very similar to a whirlpool! The vortex itself appears to be a purple color, while the opening in the center is black! And I believe that there are flashes of lightning coming from the center. I'm not sure what it is or what it's going to do, however.)" Hareta thought about Noctowl's description, "_It almost sounds similar to the portal leading to the Distortion World that dad found in Turnback Cave. Hmm… I also remember Professor Oak and the Nurse Joy of Violet City mentioning that Pikachu came from a similarly described vortex when Articuno appeared at the Violet Gym. Does that mean this vortex is also a Distortion World opening?_"

After several minutes of watching, the vortex vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. Kotone spoke, "That was an interesting spectacle. Do you guys think something might have happened in Blackthorn City?" Gold said, "I don't know, but I'm not waiting to find out! No way am I gonna get to sleep after seeing that!" Hareta asked, "You mean you want to go through the Ice Path right now? But it's…" He looked down at his Pokétch, which was on the Digital Clock function, and said, "…almost 8:30!" Gold replied, "I know that! But something weird just happened and until I at least hear that nothing bad happened because of it, I'm not going to sleep easy tonight!" With that, he ran to get his backpack and recall his Pokémon. Knowing there would be no talking him out of it, both Hareta and Kotone did the same.

Following the faintly lit road, they soon ascended the stairs leading to the entrance of the Ice Path. Glancing inside, Hareta said, "Gee, i-it's kinda dark…" Kotone glanced at Gold and asked, "You bring a light?" Gold looked at her over his shoulder and said, "No…?" Hareta turned to them and said, "I've got one in my backpack. It's in this pocket." Kotone opened and checked the pocket on the side of the bag that Hareta had tapped, soon pulling the gray flashlight out. Turning it on, she said, "Let's just get through the Ice Path tonight. According to the map, there's still a bit of distance between where it empties out and Blackthorn City. We can camp out there." Both Gold and Hareta agreed to this, so they stepped through the cave's opening.

As soon as they were inside, they immediately began to shiver. As expected, the breeze they felt when they were outside was nothing compared to the cold inside. It was also rather dark, even with the flashlight, so Hareta held up a hand and focused his Aura into it, causing a blue flame to surround it, which created some extra light and a little warmth. Seeing a line of boulders in front of them, Kotone said, "These look pretty sturdy. Let's see if there's a way around them." Walking to the right of the cave entrance, they looked for a gap that they could squeeze through. They were so focused on the boulders that they didn't notice they were walking towards a patch of ice until Hareta slipped on it and went sliding into a rocky rise! Both Gold and Kotone looked on worried as Hareta pulled his face off the rise, groaning. Refocusing his Aura, he noticed that there seemed to be a way to go around, so Gold and Kotone followed after him, both of them slipping on the ice as well. Gold ended up falling on his back as he slid, while Kotone almost lost her balance.

A while later, after slipping around on more ice and pushing boulders to get them through a large room of ice, Gold, Pikachu, Kotone, Hareta, and Minun found themselves on what was likely the lowest floor of the Ice Path. As they looked around for another ladder that they could use, they could hear a light wailing coming from nearby. Hareta focused his Aura a little more, the flame around his hand getting brighter. Tracing the wailing to a set of rocks covered in ice, they peeked around the corner. There, standing next to one of the rocks with its claws pawing at it, was a Sneasel. It was shorter than the average Sneasel, and it was crying. It whimpered, "(Where am I? How did I get here? I can't see anything. I don't know what I'm doing…)" Hareta could tell by its high-pitched voice that this Sneasel was still a baby and, if the head feather wasn't enough proof, a girl. He rounded the corner, wanting to try to comfort the young Sneasel.

Before Hareta could get close to the Sneasel, something dashed in front of him and slammed into his chest, sending him sprawling onto his back and putting his Aura out. Kotone, Gold, Pikachu, and Minun came around the corner, Kotone pointing the flashlight at Hareta's attacker. As Hareta sat up, everyone gasped at what it was. Covered in golden-white fur and with nine orange-tipped tails, all of which were pointing up as if it were ready to attack again, it was the Fox Pokémon, Ninetales!

It bared its fangs at the group as it growled, "(What do you think you were doing? Were all of you going to gang up on a helpless little girl? Even I can tell that she's lost and doesn't know what's going on!)" Hareta stuttered, "No, that's not what we were doing! I was going to try to help her!" The Ninetales closed its mouth, hiding its fangs, but it continued to stare at Hareta, Gold, and Kotone, as if trying to look into their souls. As the flashlight shone over it, Pikachu gasped, "(Hey… That scar on that Ninetales' rear left leg… No way! It can't be her!)"

Ninetales began to approach Hareta, who was still laying on the ground, her eyes watching to make sure he didn't try anything. Before she was right in front of him, Pikachu leapt onto his shoulder and jumped in front of him. Ninetales halted at this, wondering if the human was up to something, but her eyes widened slightly as she looked at the Pikachu in front of her. "(…Pikachu? Are you the same Pikachu who volunteered to come to this world as a scout?)" Pikachu smiled, "(It IS you, Ninetales!)"

Ninetales smiled, pleased to have found one of her oldest friends unharmed, but she soon asked, "(What have you been doing? Did something happen?)" Pikachu replied, "(Sort of. I ended up coming to a place called Violet City. At the time, the Legendary Pokémon, Articuno, was resting at the Gym there. I had to battle it since it began attacking after I landed, and since then, I've been traveling with Gold and his friends.)" He gestured to the group behind him after saying that.

Ninetales looked up at the group, then back down at Pikachu and asked, "(Why were you traveling with them? Did you forget about your mission?)" Pikachu replied, "(No, I didn't forget my mission. But I also didn't know the Johto region very well. At first, I was traveling with them to learn about the region and gather clues, but I eventually began to see them as friends. As we traveled, I kept looking, and I eventually found the man we were looking for.)" Ninetales asked, "(The doctor? Was he back to his old self?)" Pikachu hesitated a moment before replying, "(He was when we found him, but… Well, we got separated while trying to help a sick Pokémon. By the time we came back to where the Pokémon was, he was gone and, according to what Hareta told us, it seems he has returned.)"

Pikachu then looked up at Ninetales and said, "(But that isn't the point right now! After traveling with them this long, I assure that they would never try to harm any Pokémon! Please, give Hareta a chance to show you he means no harm. Please, Ninetales.)" Ninetales looked at him a moment more before looking up at Hareta, who had just stood up. She then moved her legs so she was in a sitting position, which told him she was allowing him to pass.

Hareta walked past Ninetales and over to the Sneasel, who had calmed down due to the exchange that just took place and was now looking forward with curiosity. She started to get nervous as Hareta got closer, saying, "(Please don't hurt me… I don't know where I am or what's going on.)" Hareta slowly moved a hand towards her, Sneasel flinching when he was about to touch her, but she relaxed when he gently placed it on her head. As he rubbed her head, he simply said, "I know. And I want to help." Minun came over and cheerfully agreed that everyone would help. Reassured that Hareta was a good person, Sneasel allowed him to pick her up and carry her.

As Hareta turned around, Ninetales walked up to him and said, "(I have misjudged you, human. If you are going to the city that is surrounded by the mountains, please allow me to guide you through the cave as an apology.)" Hareta replied, "You don't have to apologize; how could you have known what I was going to do? But if you really want to help, we'd appreciate it." Ninetales nodded, "(Very well then. I just came from there, so I know the way. Follow me.)" She began walking, followed by the trio.

As Ninetales showed them the way through the cave, Hareta asked about the vortex above Blackthorn City. Ninetales replied, after a moment of thinking, that she saw the vortex, but it did not do anything to the city itself. Hareta told this to Gold, who was satisfied that all was well and would be more than willing to go to sleep once they got through the cave.

After sliding around on the ice more and helping a Kimono Girl whose sandals were frozen to the ice, the group reached the Ice Path's exit. As they stood in front of the opening, Kotone checked her PokéGear, which said that it was past 10:00pm. After settling on a spot to sleep for the night, Hareta looked at Sneasel and asked, "Do you want to stay with us tonight?" Sneasel replied that she would and slipped into his sleeping bag along with Minun, curling up against his chest.

While the rest of the group went to sleep, Pikachu and Ninetales stayed up a few minutes longer, whispering to each other. Ninetales said, "(Let's make sure I have this correct. According to the boy with the blue jacket, Faust has returned and taken over Dr. Kiyoshi again. Is that what you're saying, Pikachu?)" Pikachu replied, "(That's what I gathered from what Hareta said. But I don't know how strong he is at this point. Things have been a little hectic, so I haven't gotten around to asking him.)" Ninetales nodded, "(I see. Well, I'm just glad you're alright. We didn't hear from you for weeks and we feared the worst.)" Pikachu said, "(We'll talk about what to do next in the morning.)" Ninetales nodded and they both came over to the group to go to sleep. Pikachu curled up in Gold's sleeping bag, next to his face, while Ninetales slept close to Hareta's sleeping bag.

**The Sinnoh Region, Sandgem Town**

Mitsumi lay asleep in her bed, her grandfather having gone to bed a short while before she did. As she slept, her light snoring being the only sound that could be heard, she began to dream.

_**Mitsumi's dream**_

_It was such a beautiful day. The sun was shining, white clouds drifted lazily across the sky, and the nearby forest was alive and vibrant. Mitsumi sat on a rock, her Pokémon out and either sitting with her or playing with her friends and their Pokémon. All around her were her friends, enjoying the beautiful day. Kotone was playing with her Pokémon in the sand, Jun and his father, Palmer, were getting into another argument about her, Kaisei and Johanna were seated on the grass nearby, talking, and Gold and Hareta were playing together. It was a perfect day._

_Mitsumi smiled as she watched Hareta and Gold play while patting the head of her Eevee. Even though she didn't get to know Gold very well during the group's vacation, she was quick to tell that he and Hareta were as close as brothers. She turned her head away from the two as she heard someone approaching, seeing that it was Jun. He looked like he was ready to ask her out on a date as he stood looking down at her, but before he could say anything, something caught everyone's attention._

_The sun was suddenly blocked out, a shadow being cast over Sandgem Town. Everyone looked up at the sky to see a large gray cloud in the path of the sun. What's more, it seemed to be rumbling, as if it was going to unleash thunder and lightning. And it did just that, unleashing a large bolt of lightning that was headed straight for the ground! Everyone scrambled to get as far away from the spot it was headed for. As it struck the ground, a bright flash covered Mitsumi's vision; when it cleared, she opened her eyes to a horrifying sight._

_Everything seemed to have gone from its natural color to gray. The grass, the dirt, the sand, even the houses. The large cloud from before was still blocking out the sun, though it seemed to have spread all across the horizon. But what really horrified Mitsumi was that the bodies of her friends and the Pokémon were strewn all across the ground. She could not tell if they were unconscious or not, as there seemed to be little movement from them. As she scanned them, she realized that someone was missing._

"_Hareta! Where are you?" she screamed. A few moments later, she heard Hareta call, "Mitsumi! I'm over here, in the forest! Come quickly, there's…" Mitsumi panicked when Hareta did not finish his sentence and rushed into the forest, heading for the spot where she had heard his call. She eventually reached a clearing in the woods, where she was confronted by a horrible sight._

_In the center of the clearing, Hareta lay on his knees, his face frozen in an expression of pure shock and terror. He fell forward as something was pulled out of his back, his body lying motionless on the ground. Mitsumi looked up at the figure standing behind him, which seemed to be the same height as Hareta. In its right hand was a sword that had a black blade, which was being held in a reverse grip. It wore a kind of armor that covered most of its body, though its arms were exposed and it seemed to be missing a helmet._

_Mitsumi, who was in tears at seeing what happened to Hareta, was about to move when the figure turned towards her. When she saw its pale, orange eyes, she became frozen in fear and disbelief. Although the eyes were not the same, she knew only one person who those eyes could belong to. The figure took a moment to change its grip on the sword before it dashed towards her, leaping once it was close enough with its sword held back…_

Mitsumi woke up in a panic, breathing heavily as sweat slid down her face. After breathing for a few moments, she looked around to see that she was in her room. Getting out of bed, she walked over to the window and looked out, calming down somewhat when she saw the moon in the sky and everything else was normal.

She turned around when she heard someone ask, "Mitsumi…?" She saw her grandfather standing in the doorway and asked, "Grandfather? What are you doing up?" He replied, "I was coming back from the washroom when I thought I heard you making noise. I was just checking to make sure you were alright." Mitsumi sighed, "I'm fine, grandfather. I just had a bad dream, but I'm okay now." Her grandfather nodded, "If you say so. Don't be afraid to come and talk to me about it if you're having trouble getting back to sleep." He then left the room, closing the door as he began walking down the hall.

Mitsumi walked over to her bed and sat down on it. She thought about what she had seen in her dream; it was scary how such a good time changed in the blink of an eye, but what really frightened her was who she had seen at the end. She looked over at her dresser, which had a picture of her, Hareta, Minun, Empoleon, and Jun. She shook her head as she thought about the times she journeyed with Hareta before and after the Sinnoh League, "Impossible. He could never turn into something like that." She then looked up at the ceiling as she muttered, "But still… Maybe I should talk to someone if I keep having dreams like this…"

**Meanwhile…**

Faust stood at the peak of a snow-capped mountain, a light snow falling around him. His cloak appeared to be torn and his mask had a few cracks in it, but otherwise, he seemed like he came out of the fight with Hareta unscathed. He growled, "That boy… I don't know what that was, but he'll pay for humiliating me. No one attacks me and lives to tell the tale. His ancestors have already met their end on their own, but I'll get my revenge on him, that kitsune, and her rat friend soon enough. And then both worlds will be mine…"

* * *

There's a reference to GoW at the beginning and a reference to Hotel Mario later on. Just letting you all know.

The appearance of the Ice Path here was inspired by how it appeared in Pokémon Crystal. The group's encounter with a wild Sneasel was also an aspect taken from Crystal.


	34. The Last League Test

Kotone yawned as she rubbed her eyes, the morning sun's rays poking over the mountains around the campsite. She sat up and looked around lazily at her sleeping companions. Gold was on his back, sawing logs along with Pikachu, who had his back resting against Gold's face. Hareta was on his side, lightly snoring, and both Minun and Sneasel were curled up against his chest. She also noticed that Ninetales had moved during the night; she was now draped over Hareta's sleeping bag, resting on top of his torso while her tails were curled up near his head.

Kotone pulled herself out of her sleeping bag and slid her shoes on, shaking the last bits of sleep out of her head. She then stood up and walked over to the nearby ledge, looking out across the way they would be traversing to reach Blackthorn City. She noticed that there wasn't much of a path, meaning they would have to be careful of loose rocks and weak ledges. She sighed softly to herself, wondering what was going to happen today.

After a few minutes of admiring the view, she turned around and went to wake up her friends. As she got close to Hareta's sleeping bag, she noticed that one of Ninetales' eyes opened upon hearing her approach. She stopped when she saw the questioning look in Ninetales' eye and said, "I was just going to wake everyone up. Unless you'd rather sleep for a little longer?" Ninetales shook her head, then moved her head to nudge Hareta's face, the boy muttering something as she tried to wake him. Kotone, meanwhile, walked over to Gold's sleeping bag and shook his chest to get him to wake up.

A couple minutes later, everyone was up and eating breakfast bars. Sleeping close to a freezing cave on a rocky ledge didn't leave much room to properly cook something, and both Hareta and Gold wanted to get to Blackthorn City as soon as they could. As he munched on one of the bars, Hareta turned to Sneasel and asked, "So what are you going to do after this?" Sneasel replied, "(I… I was hoping that I could stay with you and travel with you and your friends.)"

Hareta asked, "Really? How come?" Sneasel said, "(I've been alone for some time now. I think my family used to be part of a clan or something, but I'm not sure. I was born shortly before it happened.)" Hareta asked, "Before what happened?" Sneasel explained, "(Something attacked the area where we lived, but I only saw it briefly; I don't know what it was. I saw other Sneasel and Weavile manage to escape the attack, but I got separated from my mommy and daddy when they were escaping. I've been trying to find them, getting help from other Pokémon and being taught how to fight and navigate these past few weeks, but I haven't found out anything about them. I don't know what to do now… I'm really scared and lonely…)"

Hareta could see tears in the little Sneasel's eyes, so he reached over to her and picked her up in his arms. Cradling her, he whispered, "Don't worry. Whatever your reason is, if you want to travel with us, all you have to do is ask. Until you decide that you want to leave, I promise I'll watch over you, and so will all of my friends." Sneasel began to calm down as she heard his words and snuggled against his chest, sighing, "(You're so nice… So warm… You remind me of daddy…)"

Pikachu glanced over at Ninetales, who had taken interest in what Hareta was doing. He asked, "(So, what do you think of Hareta so far? He's a good kid, don't you think?)" Ninetales turned to him and said, "(I suppose so. I'm sure what I'm seeing is what he's normally like, but I need more time to truly say what I think about him.)" Pikachu nodded, "(I suppose that's the way you've always been around others, Ninetales. Especially since that time you told me about where a human grabbed one of your tails.)" Ninetales nodded and went back to eating her breakfast, watching Hareta out of the corner of her eye.

After everyone was finished eating, the trio took care of the remnants of their campsite and got their bags together. Ninetales chose to accompany the group for a while, wanting to stay close to Pikachu and learn more about the group, especially about the strange feeling Hareta was giving off and what he knew about Faust. Both Minun and Sneasel rode on Hareta's shoulders, just like Pikachu rode on Gold's shoulder, and Ninetales walked alongside the group, keeping an eye out for any trouble. After roughly several hours of working their way down the mountain path, they arrived in Blackthorn City.

After a quick stop at the Pokémon Center to check up on everyone, including Sneasel and Ninetales, the group headed for the Blackthorn Gym, which was surrounded by water on the sides and in the back. Walking inside, everyone except Ninetales was suddenly hit by an increase in temperature. In front of them, standing just past two pillars, was a woman with light blue hair, wearing a long black cape along with dark blue boots that had two black rings near the top and a light blue one-piece outfit that was dark blue on the sides.

Turning around upon hearing the sliding doors close, the woman scanned the group before asking, "What is it? What do you kids want?" Gold spoke, "We're here to challenge the Gym Leader of Blackthorn City for a Rising Badge! Who are you?" The woman replied, "You're looking at her. I am Clair, the world's best dragon master. I can even hold my own against the Pokémon League's Elite Four. Do you still wish to challenge my Gym?" Hareta said, "Yeah, you bet! So what are the rules for this gym?" Clair gave Hareta an amused look, "Quite the gutsy one, aren't you? Very well then."

Clair spoke, "In order to challenge me, you must complete my test. I'm sure you've noticed how warm it is in here. That comes from the lava on the floor." Kotone gagged, "There's lava in this gym?" Clair nodded, "Yes, but it's only used for the puzzle. There's no danger of falling in, and the battlefield in the back is nowhere close to the lava. If you can solve the puzzle and make it to the back, I will accept your challenge. Are all three of you looking to earn a Rising Badge?" Kotone said, "I'm not. Only Gold and Hareta are."

Clair looked over the two boys for a moment before pointing at Hareta, "You. You'll be the first one to challenge the Gym." Hareta pointed at himself and dumbly asked, "Me?" Clair nodded, "Yes. I have a feeling that it won't take long for this to be determined, then your friend can attempt it. Speaking of which, your friends will have to wait outside." Gold asked, "What do you mean we have to wait outside?" Clair explained, "Anyone can receive aid from others and solve the puzzle. I cannot keep an eye on everything that goes on in the Gym, so I ask that all companions wait outside." Kotone sighed, "If that's what she wants, then there's nothing we can do about it. Come on, Gold, let's go look around the city for a little while." She then turned and walked out through the sliding doors, followed by Ninetales. Gold glanced at Clair a second longer and said, "You'd better be ready for me once Hareta's done with you." He then followed Kotone and Ninetales outside. Clair muttered, "I'm sure I won't need to worry about being ready. This boy will be taken care of without much effort, I'm sure."

Hareta turned to Clair as she spoke to him, "I would suggest you put your Pokémon back in their Poké Balls. The footing here is a little unstable. I'll be waiting for you at the end. Good luck." She then walked over to a warp tile on the floor, disappearing as soon as she stepped on it, a slight whirring heard afterwards as it shut off. Hareta pulled out Minun's Poké Ball and recalled him, then looked at Sneasel and said, "Why don't you go join Gold, Kotone, and Ninetales, Sneasel? I'm sure there are some interesting places to see around here." Sneasel, however, shook her head, "(No! I want to stay with you!)" Hareta said, "But… You heard what she said. The ground here isn't stable, so you'd be safer if you were inside of a Poké Ball."

After a moment of thinking about what Hareta said, Sneasel said, "(Then put me in one. I really want to stay with you.)" Hareta asked, "Are you sure about that? You don't mind being put in a Poké Ball for a while?" Sneasel nodded, "(I'll be fine. I just want to be with you right now.)" Hareta hesitated a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out an empty Poké Ball. He tapped it on Sneasel's head, Sneasel being pulled inside and the ball blinking for a few seconds before it gave off a 'ding' sound. After looking at it for a moment, Hareta put the ball in his pocket and stepped past the two pillars to begin the gym challenge.

Hareta walked between a set of teeth, stepping onto a platform floating in the lava. He didn't notice the blue button or the two arrows near the end of it and stepped on the arrow pointing left, causing the platform to move quickly in that direction! Hareta let out a shocked cry as it moved, totally unprepared for what happened. Once it stopped moving, he looked down at the blue button, wondering what it did. Stepping on it, the platform rotated 90 degrees, the end Hareta had walked on now facing towards the left wall. Looking back at where the platform had been, Hareta thought he understood what to do and hopped on the blue button, the platform once again rotating 90 degrees. He then stepped on the arrow pointing right, causing the platform to move back where it had been, though it was now flipped 180 degrees, allowing Hareta to cross to the other side. He smiled to himself, "Pretty cool! Kind of reminds me of Byron's gym."

After figuring out how to get across two more lava pits, Hareta stepped off of the last platform and looked to the right to see a doorway with a plaque in the shape of the Rising Badge above it. Stepping through it, he found a room containing a gym battlefield, Clair standing on the opposite side. Seeing him step through the doorway, Clair called to him, "So you managed to make it after all. Do you still wish to challenge me for the Rising Badge?" Hareta replied, "You know it! Let's go!" Clair said, "…Fine. Prepare yourself! As a Gym Leader, I will use my full power against any opponent!" She then walked into the Gym Leader's box, while Hareta went to stand in the challenger's box.

Clair called to Hareta, "We'll battle with three Pokémon each, and no substitutions will be allowed! Agreed?" Hareta agreed to Clair's rules, so she sent out her first Pokémon, a Kingdra! Although it looked strong, Hareta figured it must've been part Water-type, so he sent out Luxray to battle it. Hareta led off by calling for a Thunder attack, Luxray leaping up and releasing a powerful bolt of electricity from his body. Before the attack could hit, Clair called for a Dragon Dance, Kingdra's speed and attack suddenly being increased, allowing it to dodge the Thunder attack and hit Luxray with a Dragon Pulse, sending him down hard onto the floor. As Luxray stood up, Clair called, "A good choice of Pokémon, but unfortunately for you, Kingdra is a Water and Dragon-type, which means electric attacks aren't going to be as effective as normal." But as she looked at the spot where the Thunder hit, she thought, "_That's quite a mark that it left. That Luxray is really powerful; it seems he's not just all talk after all._"

Due to its increase in speed, Kingdra was the first to make the next move, using a Bubblebeam attack. Since it was coming at him quickly, Luxray countered with a Spark attack, as it wouldn't take long to charge up enough electricity. He then pushed forward into the Bubblebeam, though Kingdra leapt out of the way before he could strike. While it was in the air, though, Luxray jumped after it and used a Crunch attack, biting into Kingdra's scaled side. It didn't last long, as Kingdra retaliated with a point-blank Hydro Pump, causing them both to hit the ground hard.

After they stood up, Clair commanded Kingdra to use Smokescreen, the Dragon Pokémon responding by releasing a black cloud from its snout. This didn't prove any hindrance to Luxray, thanks to its X-ray eyes, and Kingdra's position in the smoke was quickly determined. Hareta had Luxray use Charge to gather electricity, followed by a powerful Thunder attack that struck Kingdra hard. It struggled to stay up for a minute before falling on its side, defeated.

Clair recalled Kingdra and said, "Not bad, Hareta. But you'll have to be more on your guard if you want to beat me!" Hareta wondered what she meant by that, but soon found out as he looked at Luxray to see he was curled up and snoring! Clair explained, "While you were busy using Charge, I had Kingdra use Yawn on Luxray. Now that it's taken effect, Luxray won't be waking up anytime soon!" She then sent out her Gyarados and ordered it to use Hyper Beam, Gyarados firing a large yellow-orange beam from its mouth. It struck right in front of Luxray, creating a large explosion; when the smoke cleared, Luxray was laying on his side with swirls in his eyes!

Hareta returned Luxray to his Poké Ball and looked at Clair's Gyarados. "_Hmm… I can't send Quilava, Onix, or Golem out to battle against a Gyarados. I could ask Minun to battle, but…_" After another moment of thought, he sent out Kadabra to battle. Clair called for Gyarados to use Bite, Kadabra taking the full force of its fangs. After Kadabra landed, Clair tried to call for another Bite attack, but Hareta prevented it by having Kadabra use Disable. He then had Kadabra prepare an attack with Future Sight, while Clair asked her Gyarados to use Twister. The Twister caught Kadabra and swirled it around until Hareta called for a Psychic attack, which caused the tornado to stop. Gyarados then went in for an Aqua Tail attack, which was countered by a ThunderPunch from Kadabra. The two attacks held until the Future Sight struck, sending a blue bolt down onto Gyarados; this distracted it and allowed the ThunderPunch to get through. It struck Gyarados in the face hard and made it reel back; Kadabra then avoided a Bite attack and finished the battle with a Psycho Cut.

Recalling her Gyarados, Clair muttered, "One Pokémon left? This is where the real battle begins!" She then sent out her Dragonair to battle Hareta's Kadabra. Hareta started off by calling for a Psybeam, Kadabra holding out both hands as it released the beam seemingly from its spoon. Dragonair made good use of its serpentine body to weave along the beam and avoid being struck, catching Kadabra in a Wrap attack. Kadabra tried to muster enough focus to use its psychic abilities and force Dragonair away, but it tightened itself just enough to prevent that. While Kadabra was a bit breathless due to the Wrap, Dragonair took the opportunity to smack it with an Aqua Tail.

While Kadabra was reeling from the hit, Dragonair tried to go in for a Slam attack, though this was repelled when Kadabra put up a Reflect just before it got close enough. Unfortunately, the Reflect didn't protect Kadabra from the Dragon Rage that Dragonair used, getting blasted by a swirling cyclone. The attack sent Kadabra sliding across the floor, fainting when it finally skidded to a stop.

Hareta recalled Kadabra and sent out Grovyle for his last Pokémon. Dragonair tried to hit Grovyle with a Thunder Wave, but he dodged it easily and unleashed a Screech attack on Dragonair. After the ringing in its head stopped, Dragonair darted towards Grovyle for a Slam attack, which was answered by a Slam from Grovyle, Grovyle's leaf pushing against Dragonair's tail. Dragonair went in for a Dragon Rush, but it missed due to Grovyle using Quick Attack to leap up, followed by using Dig when he came down.

Dragonair laid down to try to listen for Grovyle's underground movements, but was soon sent flying when Grovyle quickly surfaced right under it! While they were both airborne, Dragonair attempted to hit Grovyle with another Slam attack, but this was stopped by a Leaf Blade, one of the blades catching the tail while the other took a swing at Dragonair. It just missed, though the point did manage to scrape along Dragonair briefly, and Dragonair retaliated with a Dragon Rage, sending Grovyle into the ground. He got up quickly, however, and hit Dragonair with a Quick Attack. Dragonair attempted to get Grovyle with a Wrap attack, but he saw it coming and leapt out of its coils, delivering one last Leaf Blade to end the battle.

As she looked down at her defeated Dragonair and Hareta came over to give Grovyle a hug, who didn't look very interested, Clair muttered, "I lost…? I don't believe it. There must be some mistake…" After she recalled Dragonair, Hareta and Grovyle came over, expecting Clair to turn over the Rising Badge, but she surprised both of them by saying, "I won't concede this. I might have lost, but you're still not ready for the Johto League." Hareta asked, "What? But… Grovyle, Kadabra, Luxray, and the rest of my Pokémon have worked so hard! They deserve to challenge the league!" Clair replied, "They might. But in my eyes, you don't." Grovyle growled, "(You got a problem with boss? No matter what, you are not going to mess with everything we've worked so hard together to get to!)"

After a moment, Clair spoke, "I know. You should take the Dragon-master challenge." At Hareta's questioning look, she explained, "Behind this Gym is a place called Dragon's Den. There is a small shrine at its heart. Go there. If you can prove that you've lost your lazy ideals, I will admit you are a Trainer worthy of a Gym Badge!" She then directed him to a warp panel on the side of the battlefield, which returned him and Grovyle to the entrance of the Gym. Thanking Grovyle for his help, Hareta returned him to his Poké Ball for a rest and exited the Gym.

Gold, Kotone, and Ninetales returned to the Gym as Hareta was exiting, having spent a little time checking out some of the places around town. Seeing Hareta, Gold said, "Hey buddy! So let me guess. You won the Rising Badge?" Hareta replied, "Uh… Not yet?" Kotone asked, "What do you mean 'not yet?' It's a yes or no question, Hareta." Hareta explained, "I won the battle, but she wants me to take this Dragon-master test. I have to go to the Dragon's Den and find the shrine at its heart for her to admit that I deserve a badge." Gold asked, "What? Getting beaten isn't proof enough for her?" Hareta shrugged, "I guess not. Anyway, I'm gonna go check out the Dragon's Den. I'll meet up with you at the Pokémon Center later."

Gold and Kotone decided to go check into the Pokémon Center while Hareta let out Empoleon and they headed for the cave behind the Gym. The man standing at the side of the entrance allowed them to enter, saying he had received word from Clair and that their master would allow him to enter as well. They nodded and walked inside, unaware that Ninetales was secretly keeping watch over them.

Inside, they found a ladder that led down further into the Dragon's Den; upon reaching the bottom, they found a cave that was mostly filled with water, with small patches of land along the wall like the one they were standing on. Before they went down the stairs in front of them, Hareta decided that Sneasel should be let outside, since there was no reason for her to be kept inside a Poké Ball now. She was happy to be out and perched herself on Hareta's shoulder as he and Empoleon looked for the shrine.

After some swimming and working their way over a whirlpool in the cave, Hareta, Sneasel, and Empoleon arrived at the entrance to the shrine they had been looking for. Walking inside, they saw statues lining both sides of the room and an elderly man standing at the far end of the room, with two others standing nearby. They approached the man, stopping when they were a short distance from where he was standing. He spoke, "Hm… Good to see you here. No need to explain why you're here. Clair sent you here, didn't she? That girl is a handful… I am sorry, but I must test you." The elder could see that Hareta was wondering what he was going to test him on, so he said, "Not to worry; you are to answer only a few questions."

After about a minute of questioning, the elder said, "Hm… I see… You care deeply for Pokémon. Very commendable. That conviction is what is important! Hareta, don't lose that belief. It will see you through more than just the Johto League; it will see you through even life's hardest challenges if you and your Pokémon continue to watch out for each other." Hareta and Empoleon smiled at each other, knowing they would always be sure to treasure their strong bond.

Suddenly, the door at the entrance to the shrine slid open and Clair entered. She approached Hareta and asked, "So how did it go? I guess there's no point in asking. You did fail?" Hareta shook his head, "No, I passed." Clair looked at him in surprise, "…What? You passed?" She took a step back and yelled, "THAT CAN'T BE!" She stepped forward and said, "You're lying! Even I haven't been approved!" The elder stepped off the mat he was standing on and got in between the two, facing Clair. He spoke, "Clair! This child is impeccable, in skill and spirit! Admit defeat and confer the Rising Badge! Or must I inform Lance of this?" Clair's eyes widened at this, thinking what the only other person who she had lost to would say if he found out. She spoke, "I… I understand…" She reached into her pocket and brought out a Rising Badge; she held it towards Hareta and said, "Here, this is the Rising Badge… Hurry up! Take it!" Hareta did as he was told and quickly took it, looking down at it.

The elder stepped back onto his mat and faced both of them, saying, "Clair… Reflect upon what it is that you lack and this child has." Clair looked down at the floor for a moment before turning around and quickly leaving the shrine. Hareta looked back at the elder and asked, "Is the Lance you're talking about the guy with the red hair and a Dragonite?" The elder replied, "Yes. That means you met the current champion of the Johto region, yes?" Hareta and Empoleon looked surprised at this, Hareta asking, "That guy's the Johto champion?" The elder nodded, "Yes, and he's also my grandson and Clair's cousin. Clair once challenged the Elite Four herself, only to be beaten by Lance. He was the first person to ever beat her in a formal battle. If he ever found out that she wouldn't accept losing to a child… Well, that might be better left unsaid."

Hareta began to sense that something was nearby and looked in the direction it was coming from. To the right of the entrance, somewhat hidden by the row of statues, was a door. Hareta turned to the elder and asked, "Hey, what's behind that door over there?" The elder replied, "That's a special room. The statues of Dragon Pokémon and their Trainers are kept there, along with details about their lives and training." Hareta looked at the door again and asked, "Do you mind if I go inside?" The elder nodded, "I believe you've more than earned that right. Just be careful about what you touch." Hareta nodded and walked towards the door along with Empoleon and Sneasel.

Past the door, they found more statues lining the hallway they had entered. The statues they had seen in the main room were made to look like different Dragon-type Pokémon, but the statues here were fashioned in the shape of humans and their partners. As they made their way down the hall, they stopped and looked at the statues, reading some of the information that had been collected as well. They found the articles to be quite informative and very interesting.

The hallway emptied out into a circular-shaped room; in the center of the room, atop a pedestal, was a flame that, according to the plaque on the pedestal, was known as the Prayer Flame. The plaque explained that the shrine was built as a dedication to the preservation of harmony between humans and Pokémon. The Prayer Flame was dedicated to the harmony that has been burning since the shrine was built 500 years ago.

As they looked at the flame, Hareta began to sense that presence again, now feeling that it was coming from the Prayer Flame itself. He began to hold a hand up towards the pedestal, pulling back briefly before reaching closer. Before he could really feel the heat of the flame or Empoleon could grab his arm, a flash came from the flame that forced them to look away and step back. Looking back at the flame, Hareta, Empoleon, and Sneasel were surprised at what they saw. Floating above the flame was the figure of a man clad in what appeared to be a green ninja outfit, except it appeared to be looser and lacked a hood or mask. He also wore brown boots and a brown cloak, which had its hood down, revealing that he had short black raven hair that was somewhat spiky and held in place by a green bandanna that had part of a Poké Ball design on the front. Like Hiori, he was outline in blue and slightly transparent.

Raising his head to look down at Hareta, he spoke, "My child, my blood… I have waited a long time to meet you, Hareta…" Hareta asked, "Who are you?" The figure spoke, "I am Enta Dia, your great grandfather. I know, because I have kept watch over my children and their descendents through this form." Hareta looked up at him in silence, at a complete loss for words, while Empoleon looked on in silence and Sneasel was confused about what was going on.

Enta continued, "Father told me you were coming. He told me about what you've done with your Aura so far and asked me to train you further." Hareta asked, "Hiori has seen what I'm able to do?" Enta nodded, "He has been lingering in this world to watch over his descendents and guide them as an effort to atone for what happened during his life. But that's not important right now. Our family has always been sensitive to Aura, but I can feel that your sensitivity is different from any previous member of our family."

Hareta asked, "What do you mean? How am I different?" Enta replied, "You will know in time. At this time, I can feel that the darkness is beginning to steadily recover its strength. But it is too late in the day for us to begin your training. Come to the back of the shrine tomorrow morning and we'll begin then. Be brave, my son, and know that I will always believe in you." After saying that, he began to fade away.

Eventually, the three of them emerged from the shrine's entrance, both Hareta and Empoleon filled with determination after hearing Enta's words. As Empoleon swam back to where they entered the Dragon's Den, Sneasel asked Hareta, "(Hareta, you're going to be doing lots of training now, right?)" Hareta looked back at her and said that he would. She asked, "(While you're training, can you teach me how to battle? I only know a little bit about battling and want to learn from someone who knows, but is also very caring like you.)" Hareta was a bit surprised by what she said, but happily said that he would help her, as would all of his Pokémon, which Empoleon agreed that he would.

As they stepped out of the water and climbed up the first set of steps, they noticed Clair was waiting for them. She looked at Hareta and said, "Sorry for putting you through all this. If you want to get to the site of the Johto League, go to New Bark Town and head north to Mt. Silver. The Silver Conference is held near the base of the mountain in Silver Town." As she looked at Hareta, she added, "Your face… is telling me you have unfinished business… Well whatever it is, whatever you have to face from now on, don't you dare give up! If you do, I'll feel even worse about having lost to you! Give it your all." She then turned and made her way out of the Dragon's Den, soon followed by Hareta, Empoleon, and Sneasel.

Unbeknownst to Hareta or his Pokémon, Ninetales was standing on the roof of the shrine, having everything that Enta had said. "_So Hareta is descended from a long line of Aura Guardians… Perhaps he is the one that the Oracle mentioned, the one who will put an end to the darkness. But I'll have to find out more about his past to be sure…_" she thought to herself. After a minute, she leapt down from the roof and, after getting a running start, made a long leap to the other side, sneaking out of the Dragon's Den the same way she snuck in.


	35. Guardian Training

**Dragon's Den**

"Ouch!" Hareta groaned as he was knocked onto his back. His attacker was a Lucario, though it was not his own. This Lucario had light yellow fur where most Lucario's was blue and dark blue fur along its front and back. It had purple eyes instead of red and was noticeably female, having a moderate bust that was covered in the same dark blue fur as her front and back. And like Hiori and Enta, she was outlined in blue, but seemed to be more solid and less ghost-like.

Nearby, both Enta and Hiori were watching the duel, as well as Hareta's own Lucario, Empoleon, Minun, and Sneasel. Enta called, "Hareta, get up. You won't effectively learn unarmed combat from Jade if you lay on your back all morning." Hareta pushed his hands against the ground and flipped up onto his feet, saying, "I know, Grandpa. That attack just caught me off guard." He looked towards Jade, who uncrossed her arms as he got back up and got into her stance again, bending down a bit with both arms pointing towards Hareta, one in front of the other. Off on the sidelines, both Minun and Sneasel cheered for Hareta, Minun focusing his electricity into his hands to make electric pompoms.

Jade asked, in human English instead of Pokémon English, "Are you ready to continue, Hareta?" Hareta nodded and crouched slightly while holding his arms up near his chest, preparing for an offensive from the Lucario. Jade dashed towards him, causing Hareta to tense up as he anticipated a strike from the front. But she suddenly used Extremespeed, vanishing and reappearing behind him. She lashed out with a fist, Hareta ducking out of the way of it but getting struck by a surprise kick to the stomach. Hareta groaned at this, but looked up in time to evade a roundhouse kick and jumped back away from another punch. Jade came at him hard, but Hareta was doing well at dodging her strikes, the more tricky blows being the ones that got to him.

Eventually, Hiori called, "Stop, Jade. It's time for something different." Both Hareta and Jade looked at him as he continued, "Clearly, it's not very hard for you to pull off fast maneuvers, Hareta. That must come from living in a forest for four years." Hareta giggled, "Yeah, I got pretty quick thanks to playing with the Aipom in the forest. They, along with the rest of my friends, taught me a lot." Hiori smiled, "That's good. It's not always easy to dodge at the last second, and I should know." His tone then became serious again, "But even if you're good at it, you can't expect to dodge everything. If you're ever caught in a situation where you won't be able to dodge the attack, you need to be able to effectively guard and be ready to counter if the opportunity arises. That's what we're going to work on next."

Enta spoke, "We're going to repeat what you two were doing just now, but, Hareta, instead of trying to dodge Jade's strikes, I want you to attempt to defend against them. There are many ways that an attack could come, so you have to be ready to put your guard up in the right places." He turned to Jade and asked, "Do you think you can keep the pressure on, but try not to seriously hurt him with your attacks?" Jade nodded, "Yes. I have excellent control. He may suffer a small cut or a hard landing, but I will be sure not to break anything." He looked back at Hareta and said, "This is to get you ready for real opponents. Make sure you stay focused." Hareta nodded, and the two got ready to duel again.

Jade dashed forward, getting up in front of him, and began to unleash a barrage of punches and kicks at him. Hareta did his best to block them, but Jade was even faster at punching and kicking than Mitsumi's Infernape was back at Team Galactic's HQ and she knew where to aim to keep him busy. "Ugh! Argh!" Hareta cried as her fist hit his side and was followed up by a kick to the face, knocking him down again and sending him sliding across the wood a bit. He groaned as he pulled himself up, one hand on the side he fell on.

Jade appeared in front of him and asked, "Shall we stop now?" Hareta grinned a bit, "Not yet, Jade. Keep it coming." She smirked a bit at this, reminded of how Enta was during his training when she and Lyra used to watch him. She then moved to punch him, only to have both fists caught by Hareta without him grabbing her spikes. She tried to kick him from the side, but he released her hands and caught her leg before it could strike. Jade was surprised he could stop her punches and still react in time to grab her leg.

"Hold it. That's enough for now," Hiori spoke. Hareta let go of Jade's leg and they walked over to everyone. Enta pointed to Hareta's hat, jacket, and long-sleeve shirt, "You want those back now?" Hareta shook his head, a few drops of sweat falling from his hair as he did. Jade was also sweating a bit, the boy being better than she had expected him to be. Both Minun and Sneasel hopped up onto Hareta, hugging him, while Empoleon and Lucario patted him on the back for doing the best he could. Jade turned to Hareta, "We'll take a short rest, then do a little more practicing, okay?" Hareta nodded, slumping down against the nearby railing.

As he leaned against the railing, Hiori spoke, "Remember that this portion of your training is very important, Hareta. Even without a weapon, you must remain a formidable opponent in the heat of battle. You won't always have someone to help you or a weapon by your side." Hareta nodded, "Okay, I'll keep that in mind. …Mind if I ask a question?" Enta said, "Fire away." Hareta asked, "Can you tell me a little bit about Tsumugari and how you're able to take on these forms?"

Enta explained, "Tsumugari is a Glaive that comes from the ancient past, long before our time. The sword was originally known as Tsukuyomi, the sword used by the legendary warrior, Izanagi, when he killed the dreaded Yamato no Orochi." Hareta asked, "What's that?" Jade kneeled next to him and explained, "The Orochi was an eight-headed serpent that, according to legend, had a body the size of a mountain. It was virtually invincible to all, even the strongest of Pokémon. Once a year, it would demand a sacrifice from a small village near where it reigned to appease it: a maiden from the village would have to be sent to its resting place, the Moon Cave, where the maiden would be Orochi's meal."

Hareta was silent for a moment, letting the information sink in, before asking, "So what happened to the Orochi?" Hiori said, "On the eve of its hundredth sacrifice, Izanagi was said to have dressed in the sacrificial maiden's garments, going to the Moon Cave to put an end to the serpent. He was no match for the beast… Until she arrived."

Hareta asked, "She? Who's she?" Jade said, "The great sun goddess, Amaterasu. Known to the people of the village as Shiranui, she only appeared on the eve of the sacrifice and was thus believed to be Orochi's familiar. Her earthly form was said to have been a white wolf, but it's unknown if she appeared as a Pokémon or not. With her mastery over various techniques, Shiranui fought to gain the upper hand against Orochi, but it was protected by a mystic power and was not so easily defeated. She was gravely injured, but she refused to give up, and with her last ounce of strength, raised her head to the heavens and unleashed a mighty howl. The black clouds covering the night sky parted to reveal the moon, and Izanagi's blade became enveloped in a great light, becoming a beacon of hope. He came out from the shadows and, guided by his sword, separated Orochi's eight heads from its body, finally bringing an end to the cursed tradition."

Hareta was amazed by this story, saying, "Wow! What happened to Izanagi and Shiranui?" Hiori spoke, "Shiranui, by that time, had succumbed to Orochi's poison and couldn't stand, having enough trouble breathing. Izanagi carried her back to the village, but by the time they arrived, Shiranui had stopped moving. She gave one last howl before her spirit moved on." Hareta was silent, so Enta continued where Hiori left off, "The villagers built a shrine in her honor, placing a statue of the wolf within, and Izanagi's blade was christened Tsukuyomi and placed in the Moon Cave as a seal to prevent the serpent from returning. The villagers prayed for endless peace, but it was not to be."

Jade spoke, "One hundred years after Orochi's defeat, a mysterious figure, later revealed to be Izanagi's descendent, Susano, went to the Moon Cave and removed Tsukuyomi, as he was enraged by the legend of his ancestor and wanted to prove it false. However, by removing the sword, he allowed Orochi's spirit to return to the world. Although Susano fled, Orochi was able to return to the Moon Cave and spread a curse across the land. As the curse spread, Amaterasu was brought back to life when a spirit breathed life into the statue of Shiranui. Although weakened, Amaterasu set out to recover her power and stop the evil that had returned to the land of Nippon."

Hareta asked, "Was the Orochi eventually defeated again?" Enta nodded, "After recovering some of her power, Amaterasu returned to the village one night, which was the eve of the annual festival held in honor of Izanagi. That day was also the day that Orochi would demand its sacrifice, and, although weakened, it sent forth for a maiden from the village. However, Amaterasu went with the maiden that Orochi had chosen, and did battle against the serpent, soon being joined by Susano. Just like in the legend, Amaterasu howled towards the heavens and Susano's sword became empowered by the moon's glow. After slaying the Orochi, Amaterasu was gifted with the reincarnation of Tsukuyomi: the Tsumugari."

Hareta looked at the duffel bag, which was sitting nearby next to his backpack, and asked, "So that sword is a goddess' weapon?" Enta nodded, "It is, though I believe it's better known as a Divine Instrument." Hareta's Lucario asked, "(So what became of Amaterasu? Does she still live in this world?)" Hiori replied, "No, Amaterasu originally came from the Celestial Plain, which was attacked by Orochi long ago. After defeating the Orochi, as well as the other evils that came from its body, she eventually went north to where the Ark of Yamato, the source of all monsters in Nippon, was located. After defeating the revived beasts and slaying their master, Yami, Amaterasu and Ushiwaka, a member of the Moon Tribe and her companion, returned to the Celestial Plain to bring peace to it at last."

Minun asked, "(So Amaterasu was never seen again?)" Jade said, "It's not recorded whether she returned to this world or not, but apparently, Chibiterasu, Amaterasu's son, was summoned in her place nine months afterward to deal with the demons that remained following the Dark Lord Yami's death. It is said that he may have had a child of his own while he was here, but it is unknown if this is true."

Enta spoke, "As to your other question, about our ghostly forms, those who control their Aura can take this form by either sacrificing their own Aura or choosing to become one with it before their death. In both cases, their physical form can no longer exist, so many Aura Guardians don't leave behind a body, it is destroyed as they pass on to the next life. However, the state we're in is in-between life and death; we are not living, but we haven't accepted the will of Aura and have not passed from this world yet as a result. We're kind of like specters, basically; we can make ourselves appear more solid like Jade is now if we want to do something physically."

Hiori spoke, "And that's enough questions for now. You need to get back to your training, Hareta." Hareta nodded, and both he and Jade stood up to continue the training. Seemingly unbeknownst to all of them, Ninetales was watching and listening to everything that had gone on, standing atop the shrine again. She thought to herself, "_So that bag contains the legendary Tsumugari… My clan has often talked about how our family contains the bloodline of the sun goddess herself, but I have to wonder if Amaterasu's blood really does flow through me._" She then reflected on what Hiori had said when Hareta came to the back of the shrine earlier while she snuck around to climb to the top of the shrine. He had mentioned that Hareta would be having more training tonight, specifically in using Tsumugari. "_Perhaps I can help him with that. I just need to alter my appearance a little bit…_"

Some time later, Hareta exited the Dragon's Den with his Pokémon, a little beat up and sore after doing more hand-to-hand training with Jade. They headed for the Pokémon Center, where Gold and Kotone were waiting for them in the lobby. They came over and, upon seeing Hareta's state, Gold asked, "Hareta, what happened to you? Where have you been all morning?" The boy replied, "Eh, I was training at the Dragon's Den. How'd your battle with Clair go?" Gold grinned, "Well, thanks to Pikachu, Tyrogue, and Gible, we won the Rising Badge! So now we're both all set for the Johto League!" Hareta asked, "When's the Silver Conference going to be held, anyway?" Kotone answered, "Three months from now, at the base of Mt. Silver. That should give you two plenty of time to get some training in."

Gold said, "Heck, we can even stop by New Bark Town while we're at it, show Professor Elm how we're doing! And it'll be great to see mom again after talking to her over the PokéGear all this time!" Kotone asked, "What do you think, Hareta? Do you want to start moving towards New Bark Town today?" Hareta replied, "Sorry guys, but I've gotta stay in Blackthorn City for a while."

Hareta's response surprised Gold and Kotone, Gold asking, "What do you mean you've got to stay in Blackthorn City?" Hareta answered, "This training I was doing earlier, there's a lot more of it. I'm not going to be done in a couple of days or anything. It's gonna take a while, and this is the only place where I can really get it. But if you guys really want to go home, then you don't have to wait on me. I understand if you want to stop by home real bad."

Ninetales was walking through the sliding doors as Gold said, "No way. We've stuck together this long through our travels, and I for one don't want to break that up now. If you need to stay in Blackthorn for a week, a month, we'll stay with you." He turned to Kotone, "You'll stay too, won't you, Kotone?" She smiled, "Of course. We're like a little traveling family, and families always stay together." She patted Hareta on the shoulder, "As long as you still want to keep traveling, we'll stay here with you until you've finished your training."

As she listened to the conversation, Ninetales thought to herself, "_They really are a good group of humans. I think I can really trust them after all. But still, I came here on a mission, and I must be sure to accomplish it. Hareta may be able to help, though, considering what I now know about his heritage…_" She was snapped out her thoughts when Hareta came over and said, "Hey, Ninetales! What have you been up to this morning?" She replied, "(Not much. Just doing a little watching and listening to some interesting things.)" Hareta nodded, "Cool! I'm going to go do some training with Sneasel, just like she asked me to. Everyone else feels like coming to watch and help. Do you want to as well?" Ninetales nodded after a moment, a little surprised at how friendly Hareta was to others.

After an afternoon of helping Sneasel train in battle and having a good dinner that evening, Hareta took the duffel bag containing Tsumugari with him as he headed back to the Dragon's Den. The man at the front of the cave asked, "You're back again? Do you really enjoy coming to train here so much?" Hareta nodded, "Yeah! The training here is the kind that can't be found anywhere else!" The man chuckled at that and stood aside to let Hareta enter. Before he did, however, someone came up behind him and asked, "Care to receive a little help with your training?"

Hareta turned around and looked at who was behind him. It was a girl with brownish-black hair that was spiky in the front and back. He couldn't tell about the rest of her hair as she was wearing a blue do-rag that had white markings on it. She was also wearing dark blue fingerless gloves that extended past her elbows with a yellow ring at the end, a light blue sleeveless shirt that had a white line running down the middle with a yellow collar, white shorts that had a yellow stripe at the waist, and blue boots with navy blue socks. She seemed to be about Gold's height, and had deep red eyes. He asked, "What do you mean by that, uh…?" The girl replied, "Call me Ammy. I'm kind of a wanderer who takes interest in helping others out. I saw you training with your Sneasel earlier and thought I might be able to help you get even better."

Hareta said, "Uh, well that's very nice of you, Ammy. But, um… The training I'm going to be doing is a little unusual. I don't know how much help you'd be able to provide." Ammy smiled, "Oh that's okay. Since you say it's unusual, just watching would be enough for me. I'd like to see what this training is about; it might even help me some!" Hareta wasn't sure if letting her see him with the spirits of his ancestors was such a good idea, but he eventually gave in and she followed him into the Dragon's Den, to the back of the shrine with his Empoleon, Lucario, Grovyle, Quilava, Minun, and Sneasel.

Arriving at the shrine, Hareta called, "Jade! Grandpa! Are you here?" After a few moments, Jade materialized, appearing as transparent as Enta and Hiori, and said, "Good evening, Hareta. Oh?" She noticed the girl standing behind Hareta and asked, "Who's she? What's she doing here?" Hareta replied, "Her name's Ammy. She said she wanted to see my training and help if she can. I don't think she was going to take no for an answer." Jade asked, "Does she realize that I'm basically a ghost?" Ammy walked over and said, "Oh, you don't have to worry about that! I've heard of you Aura Spirits before. And…" She bent over and whispered something in Jade's ears. Whatever it was caused Jade's eyes to widen for a moment, but she soon nodded, "Very well then. You may stay and help if you can."

After a few minutes, the Aura Spirits of Enta and Hiori appeared as well and Jade explained to them about Ammy. Enta nodded and turned to Hareta, saying, "Alright Hareta, the main thing we're going to work on tonight is learning how to properly use a sword. You brought Tsumugari with you, right?" Hareta nodded and set the duffel bag on his back down, unzipping it and bringing out the sword. As he removed the wrappings, Hiori said, "The best way to learn to use a sword is if you have someone to practice with. If anyone would like to volunteer…" Ammy spoke up, "Ooh! I'll spar with him! Pick me!" Hareta looked at her and said, "But Ammy, you don't seem to have a sword…" Ammy began walking towards the side of the shrine as she said, "Wait here a minute. I'll go get my sword and be right back."

After a minute, she returned with something slung over her shoulder. As she stood before everyone, she moved it from her shoulder and pointed it towards the ground, setting it upright while still holding it. Everyone marveled at what she was holding: a long sword with a brown hilt and a green-colored, somewhat narrow blade. The base of the sword had two yellow wings jutting out from where the blade began, and along the blade were eight orange pointed edges, four on each side. The tip of the sword was also an orange color. Minun asked, even though he suspected Ammy wouldn't understand him, "(Wow, is that really your sword?)" To his surprise, Ammy replied, "You bet! I call it the Nine Strike due to the prongs that line it. Even if I can't get a good slash in on an enemy, the prongs are sure to do quite a bit of damage anyway."

She came over to Hiori, who took a look at the Nine Strike before saying, "It is certainly a finely crafted sword, Ammy. Do you know how to use it?" Ammy smiled, "Know? I've been using this sword for a long time! I've got great control, so I'll be great to practice against!" Enta nodded, "Sounds good to me! Let's get this training started!" As Ammy and Hareta took their places, Hareta's Pokémon noticed that Ammy's scent was very familiar, even though her appearance was not…

Hareta hesitantly gripped the Tsumugari in both hands; he was nervous since he was actually going to be using it against someone instead of targets. Ammy held her Nine Strike in both hands and began inching her ways towards Hareta, being ready in case he was trying to get her to lower her guard and charge her. After a moment of watching him, she dashed towards him and began to slash at him with several strikes. Hareta positioned his sword to deflect her strikes, but he made no move to strike her back. After several moments, Ammy slammed her sword against his and began to push against him. They held that position for a minute before Ammy pushed him back, causing him to raise his sword too high, and she lashed out with a kick to his chest, knocking him onto his back.

Ammy looked down at Hareta and asked, "What were you waiting for? I was all set to deflect and counter any of your attacks." Hareta sat up and said, "Yeah, but… We're practicing with real swords. I'm more worried about hurting you than you hurting me." Enta sighed as he came over to help Hareta up, "I'm sure the thought of accidentally injuring someone during training is scary to you, Hareta. I know, because I had similar problems when I was learning how to use a sword. But you can't let your fear hold you back. Remember that a sword only has strength if the one wielding it has courage." He helped Hareta stand up, the boy holding Tsumugari in his left hand, and said, "You may be the one… But if you let your confidence waver now, all you'll be doing is disgracing Amaterasu's memory, your friends, and everything we fought so hard for."

Hareta looked down for barely a moment before looking up at his ancestor, his face full of renewed resolve. Enta smiled at that and said, "An Aura Guardian's strength comes from their courage. And you must always remember that as you work towards your potential. Only when you have found it can you call yourself a light of hope in the approaching darkness." Hareta nodded and got back into his stance as Enta stepped back. This time, when Ammy came at him slashing, Hareta slashed back at her, doing his best to counter her attacks and push her back.

**Later that night…**

While Hareta and his friends were sleeping at the Pokémon Center, there was a secret meeting going at the Dragon's Den, in the room inside the shrine containing the Prayer Flame. Ninetales padded down the hallway to where the flame was being kept, where Enta, Hiori, and Jade were waiting for her. Upon seeing her enter the hallway, Enta spoke, "Okay Lyra, we're all here." By the time Ninetales reached the room, another Aura Spirit had appeared. This one was a woman wearing gray scholarly robes, blue boots, and a white cloak. Her raven black hair was short on the sides and in the front, while the back was tied into a ponytail that went partway down her back.

Lyra spoke, "It's been a while since we were together like this… Oh?" She noticed Ninetales enter the room and asked, "Who might this be?" Hiori spoke, "She's a friend of Hareta and has apparently had some dealings with our, uh… old acquaintance." Lyra asked, "You mean she's seen that darkness before?" Jade nodded, "That's what she told me earlier this evening. She's even got the proof on her rear left leg." Enta glanced at Ninetales and noticed the scar there, saying, "Huh. Guess it was being hidden earlier…"

Ninetales spoke, "Never mind that for now. There is much to talk about, right?" Lyra nodded, "Yes, that's correct. I thank you for the reminder." She turned to Enta and asked, "How's your descendent doing? Is his training going well?" Enta nodded, "He was a bit nervous and unsure at the beginning, but I think he's beginning to overcome it. With any luck, his training will only begin to gain speed from here on." Lyra looked down as she said, "Yes, the sooner the better for all. But I don't think we have luck on our side…"

Hiori asked, "What do you mean?" Lyra answered, "I've been monitoring the darkness since I felt its disturbance in this world. It's gaining strength, but it seems to be slowed and it's not trying to speed its gain. I fear that this might be an omen." Ninetales spoke, "I wouldn't be surprised if he's unable to gain strength very fast. That was one of the side effects of the incantation the leader of my clan cast on Faust." Lyra asked, "You know the darkness that calls itself Faust? How?" Ninetales said, "I don't know how, but he was somehow sent to the world I come from months ago. He possessed a very close friend of mine and began a reign of terror. He eventually attained god-like powers and attempted to reshape the world to his design, but he let his own ego get in the way of his judgment, allowing my clan time to remove his power and undo the damage he had done."

Enta muttered, "So that's what became of the darkness that possessed Lord Faust…?" Ninetales asked, "Lord Faust? What are you talking about?" Jade said, "It's from when we were alive. That demon actually has no name to speak of. Assumedly, though, it has taken on the name of its first host, since it corrupted the person who accidentally uncovered it. Lyra and Enta eventually purged him of it, and it was only later that we found out that it would someday return." Ninetales nodded, beginning to understand a few things, while Hiori asked, "You said he had god-like powers? What sort?" Ninetales shuddered, "Uh… I'd rather not have to recall what he did. Thankfully, not all Pokémon remember that. Most awoke with no memory of what he had done."

Lyra said, "If that's the case, then we must be ready. I'll continue to monitor his strength and actions while the rest of you work on training Hareta. Focus on teaching him to defend himself. I will be sure to monitor his progress and will help with learning to control his Aura once he has gotten farther along in his training. If Faust strikes here, there is only one other place that can be a safe haven." Enta nodded, "Don't worry, sis! We'll make sure he's ready to protect himself!"

After a few more minutes of talking, the meeting was adjourned, the Aura Spirits fading away while Ninetales made her way out of the Dragon's Den and back to the Pokémon Center to sleep for the night. As she walked, she thought, "_I won't let that beast do to this world what he did to mine. And I won't let him harm Hareta either. We may have met recently, but he's very important to me…_"

* * *

If I had this story in an arc-type of format, this chapter would be the end of the second arc. I can't say for certain, but during this "arc," the chapters may seem a little darker than what I've written previously. Just a heads-up.

The story of Amaterasu comes from Okami. Chibiterasu is set to appear in the upcoming Okamiden. Both are published by Capcom.

Music:

Training with Jade - Sunset Colosseum (Pokémon Battle Revolution)

Story of Amaterasu - Chun-Nan Hub (Night) (Sonic Unleashed)

Return for More Training - Heroic (Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness)

Secret Meeting - Leap in the Dark (Final Fantasy X)


	36. The Nightmare Begins

In the small cabin on Iron Island, Riley sat at the table of in the middle of the main room, looking between the journal he had and a book that he had found to help him translate the old language written within. His trusty companion, Lucario, sat in a corner of the room meditating, his legs crossed and eyes closed as he concentrated. Even the sound of a ship's horn as it pulled into the dock wasn't enough to break his concentration.

Riley read the words lightly to himself, "My brother's training continues to go smoothly, although it's taking him a while to get used to this new sword we uncovered. Although they seem similar except for size, he cannot seem to effectively use Tsumugari the way he uses that huge Defender that he prizes. He can wield that sword with very little effort, but the same can't be said of Tsumugari. Still, I want him to get used to using it; if the legends are true, then the blade must hold some sort of divine power within it."

Riley placed his bookmark in the journal and closed it, as well as the book he was using to help with the translation, and mused to himself, "Hmm… Tsumugari. I remember seeing that name in something I was reading. Come to think of it, I wonder how Hareta is doing." There was a sudden knock at the door, Lucario opening his eyes and standing up as Riley called, "Come in!" The door opened and Riley smiled at who it was. "Ah, Mitsumi and Jun. How are both of you doing today?"

Mitsumi stepped in and said, "Hello Riley. We didn't interrupt you, did we?"

Riley replied, "Not at all. I was finishing what I was doing when you knocked. Now, what can I do for you?"

Mitsumi said, "Well, I was hoping I could talk to you about something." She glanced at Jun over her shoulder and added, "In private."

Jun glared at her, "Hey, if you're going to discuss something with him, I have every right to hear it too! Especially if it involves dreams turning into nightmares in the blink of an eye." Mitsumi's eyes widened at that, prompting Jun to say, "I told you earlier, I wasn't just accompanying you to Iron Island just so we could get close. I came because I wanted to talk to him about something as well."

Riley spoke, "I don't know how much help I can be, but if you both want to talk to me about something, I'll gladly lend an ear. Please, have a seat." At that offer, both Jun and Mitsumi came over to the table and sat in the seats across from Riley.

**Meanwhile, in Blackthorn City…**

Hareta wandered around Blackthorn City with the duffel bag containing Tsumugari slung over his shoulder, Sneasel on his other shoulder, and Ninetales at his side, exploring a little while Gold, Kotone, and the rest of the Pokémon were also out and about around Blackthorn City. After several weeks of training, Hareta was beginning to show real promise, having gotten good at both armed and unarmed combat. He had also gotten a small amount of Aura training in too, but Enta had said that he wouldn't be focusing on that while he trained Hareta, though he had mentioned several times that someone else would be teaching him that. Gold and Kotone had learned what the training was about from Hareta near the end of the first week, though they had already suspected that he was doing some kind of Aura training when he described the training to them on the first day.

When he had gone to the Dragon's Den earlier for training, he found only Jade waiting for him to tell him that there was no training today. This confused Hareta, who had been training basically every day since he had won the Rising Badge, but Jade didn't tell him anything else, except to have some fun around the city before he left. Although he was even more confused at that, he decided not to press on and left after she dissipated.

"(Are you okay, daddy? You seem a little quiet today,)" Sneasel said. Over the past couple of weeks, Sneasel and Hareta had become really close, to the point where she even called him 'daddy' on occasion. Although it was awkward at first, Hareta didn't really object to her calling him that, though he did wonder at times why she did.

Hareta replied, "Yeah, I'm okay, Sneasel. I guess not having training today was more than just a surprise. I can't help but feel that something's going to happen today."

"(Who knows, Hareta? Maybe they decided that you should get one day off from training just to keep your brain from exploding from information overload. It's never a bad idea, especially since that's mostly what you've been doing ever since we came here. It's nice to get the chance just to enjoy a beautiful day like this once in a while.)" She smiled when Hareta thanked her for telling him that, but she then thought, "_Still… What Lyra said last night… Could he really be on his way here?_"

_**Flashback…**_

_Ninetales was meeting with the Aura Spirits of Enta, Lyra, Jade, and Hiori in the Dragon's Den, in the same meeting place as last time. Lyra had continued to monitor Faust since Hareta had started training, keeping watch for any signs that he was about to proceed with whatever he was planning. She hadn't reported any signs of disturbance since that night, but tonight she opened up the meeting with something that surprised everyone._

"_Are you sure, sis? He's really making his move now?" Enta asked._

"_I can't say for certain what's going on, but I can sense there's a change in him. Since our first meeting, he's been quiet, but he's definitely up to something now. I used to be able to sense him at Mt. Silver, yet now he seems to have left and is on the move. He could be making his way here as we speak," Lyra replied._

"_But Hareta isn't ready to face him yet! We've taught him everything we can about combat, but he hasn't done much Aura training, since you said you'd teach him that! If he can't effectively unleash his Aura, he won't last long against Faust!" Hiori exclaimed._

"_Calm down, father. Don't forget that we anticipated this possibility. There's still that other haven where Hareta can train if Blackthorn City comes under attack," Lyra said._

"_Yeah, that's right. You trained there too, dad, and we trained there before and during our time in the League as well," Enta remembered._

"_Right, I remember. Sorry for getting mad like that, kids. It's just that, after everything that demon did while it possessed Lord Faust, I really want to see it destroyed," Hiori sighed._

"_It is fine, Hiori. I feel the same way," Ninetales said. She then turned to Enta and Lyra and said, "Should the need arise, Hareta is going to need to know where this second sanctuary is. His friends will likely need to know as well."_

_Lyra nodded, "Indeed so. I will tell you where it is, and if you have any supplies that you can use, I would suggest that you gather them up just in case."_

_**End flashback**_

As she thought about what Lyra had told her, Ninetales looked up at Hareta and said, "(Hareta, if you don't mind, I just remembered that I have a few things I should really take care of now. It shouldn't take too long, so I can meet up with you and the others a little later.)"

Hareta nodded, "Hey, that's okay with me. Why do something later if you can do it now, right? We'll probably be at the Pokémon Center, all right?" Ninetales nodded and began walking towards one end of the path they were on while Hareta walked with Sneasel and Tsumugari towards the other end.

Sneasel looked over her shoulder at Ninetales, who was beginning to round a corner, then back at Hareta's face and asked, "(What do you think she has to do, Hareta?)"

Hareta shrugged, "Beats me. But since she said she should take care of it now, it's probably important." He then glanced around the street they were on and said, "Let's see… I heard there's a nice little noodle shop somewhere around here. I wanna see if they have take-out."

A while later, Ninetales began making her way back to the Pokémon Center. On her back was a specially-made black backpack that she had owned for a long time. Thanks to the magic that was part of her being, she was able to make a quick trip to her home without having to tell her clan what was happening and pack a few supplies she thought she'd need. As she walked, she double-checked to make sure she could call upon a familiar weapon if she needed to.

She smiled as the familiar orange roof of the Pokémon Center came into view, glad that she had made good time in picking up her supplies. However, as she began to get close, a chill began to run down her spine, one that felt very familiar. She stopped walking, thinking about why the chill felt so familiar. After barely a moment, her deep red eyes widened in fear as the image of a figure passed through her head, a figure that positively reeked of malevolence. Fearing for the lives of her companions, Ninetales began to run towards the Pokémon Center as fast as she could.

Dashing through the sliding doors, she was relieved to see her companions in the lobby of the Center, Gold and Kotone standing a short distance away from Hareta, who was seated on one of the couches with some of his Pokémon nearby, talking to each other while several of their Pokémon were mingling with those of other Trainers. Hareta noticed Ninetales enter and called, "Hey, Ninetales! Over here!" His call caused Gold, Kotone, and some of the Pokémon's attentions to shift to her.

Ninetales was in no mood for cheerfulness, as she dashed behind the couch Hareta was sitting on and, ignoring speaking in the Pokémon language, pushed him off the couch as she cried, "Get up! Get your bags! We've got to go!"

Everyone was surprised, both at what Ninetales said and the fact that even Gold and Kotone could understand her, especially when Ninetales clamped her mouth down on the sleeve of Hareta's jacket and began pulling him. While he was being pulled, Hareta managed to grab the duffel bag while saying, "Ah! Wait, Ninetales! What's going on?" The kitsune didn't answer him, her mouth being around his arm, instead pulling him towards the sliding doors.

Sneasel dashed after both of them, crying, "(Daddy, Ninetales, wait!)" Gold, Kotone, and the other Pokémon ran after them, Kotone grabbing her sling bag while Gold grabbed his messenger bag and Hareta's backpack. However, only Sneasel made it out of the Pokémon Center before something hit the ground in front of the doors and exploded, the winds generated from it blowing the rest of them back since the doors were still open.

Outside, Hareta, Ninetales, and Sneasel had also been blown away by the blast, lying on the ground a fair distance from the steep cliffs around the river. Sneasel pushed herself up first and looked behind her to see what had happened, wondering why she felt chills even though she was part Ice-type. And her eyes widened in horror at the sight of a man wearing a white mask with an unnerving face on it, a torn black cloak, and long white hair standing to the side of the Pokémon Center. "_It can't be… I remember now! That man! He was the one that attacked my village and separated me from my parents!_"

As Hareta sat up, Sneasel jumped into his chest, crying in fear. As he held and tried to comfort her, it didn't take him long to spot Faust, who seemed to be glaring at him. He glared back, though the fear he could feel from being near Faust left him unable to open his mouth. Faust smirked, seeing that the boy was scared of him, and began to approach Hareta.

The doors of the Pokémon Center began to slide open as Gold, Kotone, Pikachu, and the rest of the Pokémon tried to get out, but Faust quickly held up a hand towards the doors and a black Aura surrounded it, the same Aura appearing on the doors and making them slam shut. He spoke, "There will be none of that. No one is going to come to your aid, Hareta, and no freak ability of yours is going to save you this time." As he continued walking, Ninetales got up and ran in front of Hareta, baring her teeth at Faust and growling. He stopped walking upon seeing her, but he soon smirked, "So, you decided to join forces with a human, Ninetales? That's fine with me. I'll take my revenge on both of you and send both of you and that runt to the afterlife."

Before he could come any closer to them, a voice spoke, "I'm afraid I cannot allow you to do that." Everyone turned to the other side of the Pokémon Center, where Enta's Aura Spirit stepped out of the shadows, his head turned towards Faust.

Behind his mask, Faust's eyes widened at the sight of Enta, shocked at seeing him exactly the same way he had last seen him, apart from the blue outline. He then remembered something he had learned about Aura Guardians and said, "I am surprised that you would let your spirit remain in this world, Enta, but I fail to see how you can stand between me and my revenge. You lack a body now and can do little more than appear as a ghost."

Enta retorted as his body began to appear more solid, "So you say. But I think you'll find, Faust, that although I lack a true physical form…" His right hand slid into the back of his cloak as he spoke, as if reaching, and soon pulled something out, revealing it to be a greatsword that had a red hilt, a gold base, and a long, silver blade that had some type of design just above the base and a single gold line running down the rest of the blade's length. It appeared to be heavy enough to require two hands, but Enta seemed to be easily holding it in one hand, and the blade was somewhat wide. As he held it at his side, he finished, "…I am not limited to one either."

Faust looked surprised at seeing Enta wield his Defender just as effortlessly as he remembered, but he soon sported a very malicious smile under his mask as he reached under his cloak for his own weapon. He soon brought his hand back out, holding a sword that was almost completely black and dark red except for the yellow hilt. As he held it, he spoke, "I have dreamed of this moment for many years. Your descendent and the fox wretch can wait; you sealed me away all those years ago, and I have awaited the chance to make you suffer the same fate! My Blood Sword may not have the pleasure of being bathed in your blood, but I will enjoy annihilating you all the same, Enta Dia!"

Before he went to battle his old enemy, Enta walked near Hareta and whispered, "I will distract him. Once we start fighting, you must run for it. You're not ready to face him yet. Ninetales will help you get to another place where you can train your Aura abilities, but you must move fast. Don't worry about me; he can destroy my form, but I can't die twice." Although Hareta wanted to stay, he knew Enta was right; Faust would no doubt have killed him last time, before he knew what kind of power Hareta had, and he surely wouldn't hesitate to do so this time.

Enta turned his attention back to Faust, focusing his Aura into his legs to seemingly vanish and reappear in front of him. Taking the Defender into both hands, he took a swing at Faust, but the blade was blocked by Faust's Blood Sword. Enta leapt back as Faust attempted to go over his blade and made good use of its long length to keep Faust at bay. Still, that was the only advantage that Enta seemed to have; although the Blood Sword wasn't nearly as long or heavy as the Defender, it was a powerful sword in Faust's hands, as Enta knew very well.

Faust thrust both hands towards Enta, sending a wave of black Aura at him. Enta was unable to put his defenses up in time and was left unable to move as the Aura burned at him like a flame. Faust then followed up with a ball of black energy, which sent Enta flying onto his back. He then laughed, "Come on, Enta! Surely you haven't forgotten who you're foolishly battling against!"

Leaping up from off the ground, Enta replied, "Of course not, you cur! Get ready!" He then held his blade straight up, a shine going from the base to the tip, and then leapt towards Faust, striking the ground in front of him. Although it wasn't charged by Aura, something spread out from the sword's impact and forced Faust back. He then began slashing at Faust again, the first strike just narrowly missing his cloak while the second was blocked. He then quickly swirled around and, charging the Defender up with his green Aura, thrust his sword behind him and pushed through Faust's defense, the charged Aura striking Faust and knocking him onto his back.

Getting up, Faust attempted to fire black lightning at Enta, but it was blocked by a green Aura barrier that Enta created. Dashing towards him, he attempted to slash with his Blood Sword, only to have Hareta block him and blast him away with his Aura. Only being pushed back slightly, Faust went in for another slash, his blade meeting Enta's and the two pushed against each other. Their struggle was more or less even, as one would start to push the other back only to be pushed back as well. Seeing as there was little chance of this going anywhere, Faust took one hand off the hilt of his sword and quickly held it towards Enta's face, trying to push him back with a force of energy. It failed, as Enta ducked out of the way while still keeping a firm grip on his sword and quickly stood up to push Faust back before making a wide slash across his chest with the tip of the Defender. Although it ripped Faust's cloak and knocked him onto his back again, it seemed to do little, as the wound closed almost as soon as it opened, nothing coming out.

Getting back up, Faust growled angrily, deciding he had humored Enta enough. He threw the Blood Sword at him, Enta slashing at it with his own sword and leaving him open. Faust took the chance to use the black lightning again, this time hitting Enta directly, and moving closer to him while using one hand to summon the Blood Sword back to him. While Enta was unable to move due to some electricity sparking around him, Faust began to slash at him, the sword cutting into Enta and disrupting his solid form. He then blasted Enta away with a black Aura sphere.

Recovering from the blast, Enta growled, "I will not allow you to alter my grandson's destiny, Faust!" He began inching his way towards Faust, his blade held high in both hands while Faust held his in one hand at his side. After a few moments of inching, Enta brought his blade up high and then down into a downward slash. Faust held up his sword, blocking the slash and holding it there for a moment before he suddenly moved towards Enta. He pushed against Enta so hard with his dash that he actually went through him, disorienting him. Before he could regain his composure, he was surrounded by Faust's black Aura and held up in the air, Faust holding a hand up and slowly tightening it into a fist, the Aura beginning to contract around Enta and making him groan in pain.

Faust smirked as he was almost closing his hand into a fist, "A valiant effort, Enta, but it was futile. Even if your sister were here now with her sorcery, it would be useless; what worked all those years ago no longer does! You have failed."

Turning his head to look down at Faust, Enta grinned, "You couldn't be more wrong. I knew from the beginning that I had no chance of defeating you. This battle was all a ruse to distract you from your real objective. And you fell for it."

At that moment, Faust remembered what he had come to do and looked over where Hareta, Ninetales, and Sneasel had been standing, only to find them gone! Enraged, he closed his hand into a fist, the Aura completely contracting around Enta as he gave one last yell before he was broken down to nothing along with his Defender. He then ran over to where they were standing and looked south, realizing they must've escaped by using the bridge to get over the river. He clenched his hand into a fist again as he growled, "Argh… I let the objects of my real revenge get away by getting distracted by old scores…"

He then seemed to calm slightly as he unclenched his fist and sheathed his sword, saying, "No matter, though. A rat can only hide for so long before it is found. And once they're found again, it will be the last time they'll be able to hide." He then looked back at Blackthorn City and said, "Hmm… This used to be a safe place for the Pokémon League back then. Whatever it's used for now, it will be the first one of its kind to be destroyed. Hopefully, my Darklings will be able to handle a simple job this time." With that, he disappeared in a puff of black smoke, releasing his spell on the Pokémon Center's door.

**On Iron Island**

"I see. Even though you both had different dreams, they ended up turning into a very similar nightmare," Riley was saying. Both Mitsumi and Jun nodded, both having just finished telling him about what they saw. Riley sighed at their nods, "I was afraid of this. Now I know it is not coincidental."

Jun asked, "What are you talking about?"

Riley replied, "Recently, I went through something similar. I was having a most wonderful dream, only to have it ruined when it became something much more horrifying."

Mitsumi asked, "But what do you mean it's not a coincidence?"

Riley looked at the table as he said, "The fact that we have all had very similar dreams of our world being ruined in the blink of an eye must surely be an omen if it's happening to more than one person. I am sure of this." He looked up at both of them and said, "Something terrible is coming, and what we have seen is a warning."

* * *

I decided to go back to my old style of writing after being told it would be better by several people. I hope nobody minds this.

The Defender used by Enta here is based on its appearance in Final Fantasy XII, while the Blood Sword is based on how it appeared in the DS remake of Final Fantasy IV.

I was inspired by the battle between Lord Starkiller and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Docking Bay 94 for the battle between Enta and Faust.

Music:

Journal Study and a Free Day - Resort Area House (Pokémon Platinum)

Secret Announcement - Rose of May (Final Fantasy IX)

Desperate Situation - Time of Judgment (Final Fantasy X)

Enta vs. Faust - Pokey Means Business (Remix by DEDEDEjr.) (Earthbound/Mother 2)

Darkness Ahead - Nightmare (MP Style) (Metroid Fusion)


	37. Dark Offensive

**Blackthorn City**

Gold, Kotone, and some of their and Hareta's Pokémon dashed out of the doors of the Pokémon Center. After they had recovered from the gust of wind that blew them all back, they tried to get outside only for the doors to somehow seal shut while talking and the sounds of a battle could be heard outside. They were able to get out after the sounds quieted, but Hareta, Ninetales, and Sneasel were gone and there was no one else out front.

"Did you hear everything that was said, Kotone? That Faust guy that Hareta mentioned was out front here, battling that Enta dude who was training Hareta! But now both of them are gone! How?" Gold exclaimed.

"Gold, will you calm down? We're not going to find out anything if we start panicking," Kotone said. While Gold attempted to do that, Kotone glanced down at the ground, noticing something. "Hmm… That's odd. It almost looks like there's only one set of footprints except for the ones near the bridge leading out of town," she mused. Kotone's Cubone, Gold's Pichu and Gible, and Hareta's Lucario and Golem agreed with her, noting that they all seemed to be left by some sort of slip-on shoe.

Gold noticed Pikachu seemed angry, looking around as his cheeks sparked and he growled. Gold came over and asked, "What's the matter, Pikachu? Is it because of that Faust guy?"

Pikachu looked at him and nodded, "Pika! Pika Pikachu!"

Gold glanced around at the other Pokémon, seeing that Luxray was trying to find Hareta's scent, likely suspecting Hareta got away before Faust got to him. While they were all worried, he noticed that Empoleon, Misdreavus, and Quilava were especially worried. He figured Empoleon was worried since he and Hareta were inseparable, and figured that both Misdreavus and Quilava felt the same way, the two girls talking to each other a little bit.

Suddenly, they heard Clair call to them, "Hey, Gold and Kotone!" Everyone turned their heads in her direction, seeing her running over to them with her Dragonair flying close behind. Once she reached them, they asked her what she was doing, to which she replied, "I heard from one of the Trainers from the Gym that it seemed like there was a big battle going on, so I came to investigate. Do you two have any idea what happened?"

Before they could answer her, Luxray began to call, "Lux! Luxray!" Turning to look over at him, they noticed he was standing close to the bridge.

Gold said, "Looks like Luxray caught Hareta's scent! He, Ninetales, and Sneasel must've managed to get away before Faust could get them!"

Clair said, "Hold on! You haven't answered my question yet! And would one of you please tell me who this Faust is?"

Kotone spoke, "We're not sure what happened exactly, since the doors of the Pokémon Center were sealed for some reason, but we think there was some kind of sword fight. It almost sounded like there were two blades clashing against each other. As for Faust…" She was cut off before she could say anything about Faust when Pikachu and Lucario started growling loudly, causing everyone's attention to shift to them. They were both standing to the left of the Pokémon Center, looking towards the mountains.

Going over to them, some of the Pokémon began to understand what they were upset about, while the others were still confused. The answer soon became apparent as a black cloud, the color of a moonless, winter night, appeared to be floating down the slopes. As it got closer, it seemed to spread out, stopping at the edge of the rock and forming a sort of wall around the Gym area and the Ice Path exit instead of continuing down into the city. As they watched, the cloud dissipated into the creatures that Faust had attacked Hareta with back in his lair at Mt. Mortar.

Almost as soon as they appeared, they jumped down from the mountainous terrain and began attacking Blackthorn City! They burst through the Gym's roof, slammed into the sides of larger buildings, and crashed through homes as they began to spread throughout the city. Gold, Kotone, Clair, and the Pokémon knew that finding answers would have to wait; the citizens of Blackthorn City needed help to fight off this invasion. While Pidgeot, Noctowl, Crobat, and Scyther flew on ahead to aid the Trainers at the Gym, Gold, Kotone, and Clair split up to start fighting off the Darklings as they made their way there. They released the rest of their Pokémon while Hareta's split up to help each of them.

As they made their way towards the Gym, Bayleef's Razor Leaf, Grovyle's Bullet Seed, and Croconaw and Buizel's Water Gun were perfect for defeating the smaller Darklings and knocking down some of the bigger ones. Some of the more agile Darklings could avoid these attacks, and they did little against the bigger ones that were standing in the more open spaces in an effort to stop their advancement. Even against these beasts, it became necessary for Gold, Kotone, and Clair to have to join in the fight as well in order to help their Pokémon as well as the citizens they came across.

Eventually, they managed to meet up on the hill leading up to the Gym, where all the Trainers who had been inside of the Gym were as well. Along with Gold, Kotone, Clair, and their Pokémon, the Gym Trainers and their Pokémon were all looking ragged and had suffered, at the moment, minor to moderate injuries. Between all of them, many of the citizens had been found and helped, all of the ones found having been sent to the Pokémon Center as it was the safest place in town. There were no reported deaths yet, although many of the citizens had suffered injuries ranging from minor to almost serious and they were all understandably terrified. At this point, no one was sure if the Darklings were planning to destroy the city and kill everyone in it or simply damage it.

While Kadabra began applying Recover to some of the more serious injuries and Chingling used Heal Bell to help ease any fatigue, Clair spoke to the Gym Trainers, "I'm glad everyone made it out of the Gym okay. But did anyone see any of these… things get inside of the Dragon's Den?"

Ace Trainer Fran said, "I'm sorry, Clair. We were trying to make sure our Pokémon and ourselves weren't crushed by the falling roof. In all the commotion, they might have gotten inside, we don't know."

Before Clair could say anything, they heard muffled shouting coming from Gold's Gible. Turning to it, they saw one of the smaller creatures had followed them up the hill and was now stuck in the Land Shark Pokémon's jaws. Gold told it to use Draco Meteor, Gible's body glowing orange as an orange sphere began to form inside it. Once enough energy was gathered, it fired the orb right into the creature in its mouth, sending it airborne. When the orb reached a high enough height, it exploded, destroying the Darkling and raining multiple smaller spheres on the Darklings in the city. For once, Gible was able to execute Draco Meteor properly!

Clair said, "All right, listen up. Paulo, Lola, and Mike, you're coming with me to the Dragon's Den to make sure that none of these creatures have attacked anyone there. Fran and Cody, you stay here with Gold and Kotone to help them locate any other survivors. Remember, the city is the people that live in it, not the buildings." With that, Clair and her Trainers made their way across the water to the Dragon's Den while Gold, Kotone, and the rest of the Trainers headed back into the city to resume their search.

**Meanwhile, on Route 45…**

Hareta, Ninetales, and Sneasel hurried along the side of the river, leaping down ledges and crossing bridges as they ran. Hareta would occasionally stop and look back in the direction of Blackthorn City, afraid that something was happening and worried about his friends, but Ninetales would pull on his arm to get his attention back to the road when this happened. While they were running, Ninetales told Hareta that she was taking him to a safe place where he could continue his training. Enta had told her about it and said that the only way Hareta would have a chance to stop the approaching disaster would be to complete his training. Hareta had some questions for her, but decided that they could wait until they got to safety.

They eventually made it to Route 46 and headed south, past the entrance to the Dark Cave and towards the ledges overlooking Route 29. They continued south, jumping down the ledge into a raised grassy area. They had just landed when glowing black wisps suddenly appeared near the opposite side and formed into Darklings. "Blast it… They've found us already!" Ninetales growled. As soon as they saw them, the Darklings charged at the trio, forcing them to scatter. They tried to run from them by heading for the other ledge, but a pinkish barrier formed on all sides of the ledge leading to Route 29 that prevented their escape.

Sneasel turned around as she heard the Darklings coming towards them. Although their presence was enough to make her scared, she wasn't going to let them harm her friends. When they were close enough, she unsheathed her claws and leapt towards them, tearing into them with Fury Swipes. This caught the Darklings by surprise, as they didn't know that a Sneasel's paws concealed their claws, giving Ninetales a chance to use Will-O-Wisp, bluish flames appearing in a circle above her and being hurtled at the Darklings.

Angered by their attacks, the Darklings began to attack back, forcing the three of them to spread out. Ninetales used Safeguard so that everyone would be temporarily safe from any harmful afflictions that the Darklings could do to them before using Flamethrower to attack from a distance. Sneasel stuck to close attacks to take advantage of her speed, using moves such as Agility, Slash, Faint Attack, and Quick Attack to strike while catching her opponents off guard. Hareta alternated between attacking from a distance with Aura Spheres and fighting at close range. It soon seemed that they had won, as all the Darklings had been broken down into dark atoms.

But the battle was far from over, as black clouds suddenly appeared on the rise, more Darklings appearing from them. One appeared in front of Sneasel and immediately tried to punch her, but she leapt back and tried to release an Icy Wind at it when one of the smaller ones rammed into her stomach. She managed to slap it away with her paw while she caught her breath and looked up to see it coming back towards her and heard footfalls behind her. She dashed to the side with Agility and looked back to see the smaller Darkling hit one of the larger Darklings in the face.

Sneasel tried to make her way back over to Hareta and Ninetales, who weren't doing so well at the moment. Being close to the center of the rise meant that the Darklings could attack them at any angle, so they were stuck trying to handle the ones coming after them while attempting to cover each other as well. The duffel bag was limiting Hareta's movements more than Ninetales' backpack was but he didn't dare take it off, fearing that they would try to grab it. As Sneasel helped defeat some of the Darklings, she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, one of the moderate-sized ones with claws aiming for Ninetales, who had her back to it. It was moving too fast for her to intercept it, so Sneasel shouted a warning at Ninetales. The Fox Pokémon turned around just in time to see it leaping towards her, claws extended.

The attack never connected with her, as Hareta dove towards her, pushing her out of harm's way while avoiding it himself. It did, however, slice across the duffel bag, ripping a good-sized hole in it and breaking one of the straps, causing it to fall to the ground in tatters. After landing, Hareta and Ninetales turned their heads away from each other to see that Tsumugari had fallen out of the remains of the bag. One of the Darklings was making a move towards it, so Hareta quickly stood up and dashed towards it, diving towards it and rolling after he felt his hands grab the hilt.

Standing up, he was suddenly punched across the face and jabbed in the stomach by the Darkling that had been rammed earlier. The jab sent Hareta flying backwards, his hat falling from his head before he hit the ground. As he sat up, the Darkling leapt above him with an arm held back, preparing another punch. He moved out of the way of the fist and stood up, taking Tsumugari in a reverse grip and pushing it through the Darkling's shoulder. While it was stunned from this, he held out a palm towards its chest, focusing his Aura there and blasting it away.

Before anything else could happen, something suddenly closed around Hareta's waist and began to pull him backwards! Looking over his shoulder, Hareta saw that it was Ninetales, making use of her namesakes to drag him away. She and Sneasel, who was on her back, were heading for the ledge that they had come down. Once they got back on top of it, she released her tails from around Hareta, letting him go. Before he could ask, Ninetales spoke, "It seems they're going to keep coming until they defeat us. Even if there's an end somewhere, we're likely going to be hurt and exhausted by the time we get to it, and then we'll be easy to finish. We have to find a way to go around them somehow!"

After looking at the Darklings that were beginning to come closer to them, Hareta glanced behind him at the entrance to Dark Cave. He then spoke, "I remember that the Dark Cave has an entrance on Route 31. If we go through here, maybe we can find that entrance and use it to avoid these things!"

Ninetales replied, "That's perfect! Violet City is where we need to go, so if that works, we'll save ourselves a lot of trouble!" With that, they ran back to the entrance of Dark Cave as the Darklings began to climb up the ledge to chase after them. By the time they reached the top, the trio had entered the cave and vanished from their sights.

**Meanwhile, in an underground control center...**

A man with a rather swollen behind wearing a Team Galactic Grunt uniform stood over a computer, looking intently at what was on the screen. As he watched the screen, his face began to change from a focused look to a confused look. After a minute of looking at his screen, he called, "Commander Saturn, sir! You might want to look at this!"

A man wearing a Commander uniform with blue hair that spiked up on the sides came over and looked at the computer screen while the Grunt stood to the side. After looking at it a moment, he turned to the Grunt and asked, "What did you call me for, B-2? I'm afraid I don't quite understand what's being shown here."

B-2 explained, "I'm not entirely sure myself, but if I'm seeing the maps right, it appears that time is beginning to become altered in some areas. It almost seems as if, in those areas, that time is beginning to slow down, though at this point, it's hard to tell. It may be that there's something at work somewhere, something powerful."

Saturn held a hand to his chin, "Hmm, I see. Continue to monitor this unusual phenomenon. If it begins to expand, let me know immediately. For now, I will alert Master Cyrus to this possibility." He then walked away while B-2 turned his attention back to the computer to keep watch over the maps.


	38. On the Run

**A dirt field in the Sinnoh region**

"Mamoswine, use Take Down! Growlithe, use Flame Wheel!" Koya ordered. Mamoswine began charging towards Growlithe, who leapt into the air and released a red-orange flame from its mouth while somersaulting, rolling towards Mamoswine. Koya watched the two carefully, making calculations as they got closer while his Metagross and Absol watched from the sidelines. He figured Hareta had earned eight Johto badges by now, so he needed to be ready in case they battled at the Silver Conference.

Mamoswine and Growlithe soon slammed into each other, pushing as hard as they could to force the other back. Their collision eventually resulted in an explosion, due to the power Mamoswine had charged up for the Take Down and Growlithe's type advantage. They both slid back across the ground, both appearing stunned for a moment before looking back up and growling at each other. Koya smiled, "That's enough for now, you two. Take a rest." Both Growlithe and Mamoswine smiled back at him before moving off the field.

Absol secretly smiled to himself; ever since his Trainer had reunited with Growlithe back at Neo Team Galactic's HQ in Veilstone City, he had become a much different person than what he remembered him to be. Before, he had known Koya to be much more cold and calculating, often winning battles in under a minute, though he still had some moments of decency to him. Now, after Growlithe had been back on the team for a while, Koya was more like what Growlithe said was how he behaved before joining the International Police. He was still a calculating Trainer, but he wasn't as cold as he used to be and actually appeared to be enjoying battles every now and then. It was amazing what a little time with a long-lost friend could do to someone's attitude.

Suddenly, Absol's head jolted upwards, his sixth sense for disaster alerting him to something. He glanced to the northwest, in the direction of the Johto and Kanto regions. It didn't feel like something was coming in that direction, but rather something powerful was emanating from one of those two regions. It was a feeling he had never felt before; natural disasters and surprise attacks normally didn't surprise him so much, but even though his face didn't show it, Absol was worried about this new feeling. Somehow, whatever it was, it seemed to be seethed in darkness and malice.

"Hey! Absol! It's your turn to practice!" Koya called. Absol snapped back into reality and realized that Metagross had already taken its position on the practice field. He quickly ran over to his spot, hoping that he was getting worked up over nothing and that it would pass soon. But Koya noticed that Absol seemed to be distracted by something and it made the blonde-haired Trainer wonder. "_Absol only acts like that when he senses that something is coming. Is something coming here... Or is something happening elsewhere that he can sense even from here?_" he thought. He looked in the direction that Absol had been looking and noticed that the clouds seemed to be getting a little heavier. "_An early sign of a storm, perhaps?_" he wondered.

**Route 46, Dark Cave entrance**

Hareta peered out through the cave opening, checking to see if the Darklings were coming after them. He, Ninetales, and Sneasel ducked to the side of the opening after they ran inside, hoping that the Darklings would not know that they were inside the cave. It seemed to work, as they didn't hear anything for several minutes, after which they heard the their footsteps heading back in the direction of Route 45, and now it seemed like they had all left the area.

He turned back to Ninetales, who had taken off her backpack and set up a torch so they could have a light source, and Sneasel and said, "It looks like we managed to lose them. I didn't see or hear anything. I think we might be okay."

Sneasel sighed with relief while Ninetales said, "That's good. But there's no telling what we'll find when we get out of this cave. Fortunately, I prepared for this possibility." She pushed her muzzle into her backpack and pulled something out as Hareta came over. It appeared to be a folded-up large sheath for a sword. She spoke through her teeth, "Here you go. Since your duffel bag was destroyed, you can use this so you don't have to carry Tsumugari in your hands all the time."

Hareta took the sheath, unfolded it, and flipped Tsumugari around, beginning to slide it inside, wrappings and all. As he did, he said, "I've been wondering about a few things, Ninetales. Have you always known how to talk like this? And how did you know this was going to happen? I'm not suspicious of you or anything, I'm just wondering."

Ninetales sighed, "I know that you have questions, Hareta, but unfortunately, this is a bad place to be answering them. For now, I'll just say I'm rather well-acquainted with some of the things we've seen so far. Once we get to safety, your new teacher will be able to tell you more." She pushed her muzzle into her backpack again and came out with a folded-up brown object. She spoke, "This cloak will help keep your face hidden. If we're lucky, we might be able to avoid running into any unnecessary complications, since these things are able to disguise their appearance."

After placing the sheath so that it rested on his back, Hareta began to slip the cloak on. While he was doing so, Sneasel, as she looked at Hareta, asked, "(But what about you, Ninetales? It'll be harder to mask your appearance around those creepy things. We might run into trouble anyway.)"

As Hareta finished putting on the cloak, which went down to his feet and had a hood to hide his face, Ninetales replied, "There's no reason to worry about me being found out, Sneasel. Just look at me now." Both Sneasel and Hareta turned to look at her and their eyes went wide with shock. In Ninetales' place was Ammy, the same Ammy that had trained with Hareta a couple of times during the last few weeks.

Hareta stuttered, "Ammy...? H-how did you get here? Where's Ninetales? What's going on?"

Ninetales had to choke back a laugh; despite the situation they were in, she couldn't help but find Hareta's reaction funny. She stifled a giggle as she said, "Calm down, Hareta. There's nothing to freak out over. I'm still Ninetales; this is just a little trick of mine."

Hareta calmed down somewhat at this explanation and asked, "So you were helping me with my training all this time?" He looked down at Sneasel and asked, "Did you know that Ammy was Ninetales, Sneasel?"

Sneasel turned to look up at him, her face still displaying her own shock as she said, "(No, I didn't! Honestly! Although this does explain why Ammy's scent was so familiar...)"

Ninetales spoke, "Hold on, let me explain. You see, my name really is Ammy, but I'd prefer it if you continued to call me Ninetales. I come from a clan of Ninetales and... Well, there's got to be some way of telling each other apart aside from appearances. This human form I have taken is just something I learned over the years. My clan is well-versed in magic of all sorts, although only a select few of us study the more darker arts. Do you understand now?"

Hareta nodded, "Yeah, I think I get it somewhat. But how did you do that? I mean, if you changed shape, shouldn't there have been, like, a glow or something? Or does it somehow work without anything noticeable occurring?"

Ninetales looked at him in surprise; although she knew she was able to take on the appearance of a human, she didn't actually know how she did it. She just thought or imagined that she was in her human form and somehow, her body took on that appearance. Before she could admit this out loud, however, she sensed something behind her and reflexively dodged to the side. As she did, a Dunsparce came whizzing past her and instead hit Hareta in the chest, as he didn't see it coming until it was too late to move.

Hareta groaned as he pushed himself off the wall that he slammed into and looked at the Dunsparce, which had landed on its back on the floor and was wiggling around to try to flip itself over. "Poor guy. Here, let me help you," Hareta said, kneeling down to pick it up. He held it up to his face as he righted it, only to panic as he looked at its eyes. Even though they appeared to be slits, they were colored a bright red, almost as if it were enraged! It attempted to lunge at him again, but Sneasel knocked it away from Hareta with a Quick Attack.

Ninetales came over and inspected the Dunsparce as it lay stunned from the attack. After a moment, she looked over at Hareta and Sneasel and said, "It looks like whatever is happening now is responsible for this. This Dunsparce seems to have been enraged for no reason, which is very unusual for a Dunsparce. That might also account for the red eyes..."

Hareta stood up and asked, "Is Dunsparce going to be okay, Ninetales?"

She smiled, "Not to worry. Sneasel managed to knock this little guy out. He should be alright when he wakes up, though he probably won't remember what he was doing." She then stood up and said, "Now come on. We may have lost the Darklings that were attacking us, but we're not in the clear yet." She came over and picked up the torch, Hareta and Sneasel coming over beside her so as not to get separated in the darkness. "Stay close to me and keep an eye out. There may be more enraged Pokémon deeper inside the cave. And... are you feeling alright after that attack, Hareta?" Hareta replied that he was fine, and with that said, they began to work their way through the Dark Cave.

They worked their way through the cave with the flame on Ninetales' torch as their only source of light. Hareta would've lit up his hands with his Aura to create some more light, but Ninetales wanted to avoid attracting any extra attention if possible. Even so, they were still attacked by a few Pokémon as they walked, both enraged and normal. They saw a few Golbat, a couple Geodude, and a Makuhita or two as they went.

When they were getting close to the Route 31 exit, they were attacked by an angry Graveler. It was blocking the path, but Sneasel noticed that there seemed to be light coming from nearby and alerted both Hareta and Ninetales to it. When the Graveler came rolling at them in a Rollout attack, the three of them leapt off the nearby ledge, avoiding the attack and heading for the opening. As they stepped outside, they found that gray clouds were covering the horizon, blocking out some of the sunlight and making the area seem darker than it should be.

"Whoa, how much time did we spend in the Dark Cave? I don't even remember what time it was when we left Blackthorn City... But no matter how late it is, this is kinda creepy," Hareta muttered. Sneasel was clutching his leg through the cloak, agreeing with his thoughts.

Ninetales, on the other hand, glared up at the dark clouds. "_All these clouds starting to block out the sunlight... This is just like back then,_" she thought to herself. She then turned to Hareta and said, "We'd better get moving. I don't like the look of these clouds at all. It might be safer for Sneasel if you kept her inside your cloak so no one can see her." Hareta nodded and bent down, picking up Sneasel like a baby and pressing her against his chest. She snuggled against it while Hareta made sure she couldn't be seen easily. Once he was sure of that and noticed that they weren't far from Violet City, Ninetales led the way, walking and keeping an eye out for anything suspicious while Hareta put his hood up to hide his face.

They quickly made their way through Violet City, avoiding eye contact with anyone they came across. They soon saw their destination: Sprout Tower. As they crossed the first bridge to the gray rise in the middle of the water separating the city and the tower, they found Gym Leader Falkner standing in front of the second bridge. As Hareta and Ninetales stepped onto the rise, Falkner held up his left hand and said, "Hold it! Who are you two?"

Before Ninetales could say anything, Hareta pulled down his hood, let Sneasel out of his arms, and said, "Relax, Falkner! Remember me?"

At the sight of the raven-haired boy, Falkner thought a moment before saying, "Oh, it's you, Hareta! I almost didn't recognize you because you're wearing that cloak and you don't have your hat." At that, Hareta reached a hand up to his head and realized that he was indeed missing his hat. Falkner continued, "Sorry if I sounded like I was hostile. Elder Li has ordered me to check anyone who wants to go inside Sprout Tower. He mentioned that he has had visions of mysterious creatures who can take on the shape of humans and Pokémon. He's worried, so he's asking me to stand guard here. I don't know anything about these creatures he mentioned, but my Pokémon and I aren't going to let anyone suspicious get inside."

Hareta nodded, "Yeah, I can understand that. Can we go inside?"

Falkner asked, "What for? You've already won the Zephyr Badge. Shouldn't you be about ready to compete in the Johto League by now?"

Ninetales stepped up, "With all due respect, Falkner sir, we can't explain the exact reason why we're here at the moment, but Hareta has some really important training that he needs to do here."

Falkner replied, "I'm afraid that's not going to cut it, miss. I need a reason before I can let you cross this bridge."

Before Ninetales could try to argue with him, one of the Sages approached Falkner from behind and asked, "Falkner? What's going on out here?"

Falkner turned to face him and said, "I apologize if we made any noise, Sage Neal. This group would like permission to go inside the Sprout Tower, but they won't tell me their reason. I'm not judging them, but Elder Li requested that I find out why anyone visits before I let them pass. At least that's what he told me earlier."

Sage Neal spoke, "I think it will be alright. But just to be sure, we will take them up to the Elder and let him decide." Falkner agreed to this after a moment and both he and the Sage led Hareta, Ninetales, and Sneasel across the bridge. As they entered the tower, they noticed several of Falkner's Pokémon perched in the treetops, helping to keep watch. They were led up to the top floor, where they found the Elder standing between two Bellsprout statues near the opposite wall.

Upon seeing both Neal and Falkner, Elder Li spoke, "My greetings to both of you. What have you come to see me about?"

Falkner spoke, "A boy who challenged my Gym some time ago and a girl with him. She says that he has some type of training to do here, but refuses to tell me what that training involves." He then stepped to the side to allow Hareta, Ninetales, and Sneasel to step up to the Elder.

After looking over them for a few minutes, Elder Li looked at Neal and Falkner and said, "They are fine. They may use the tower as they wish as long as they don't cause any trouble." Both Falkner and Neal nodded and left, heading back down the winding stairs. After they left, Li asked Hareta, "What is this training that you seek?"

After several long explanations, Elder Li led the three of them down the stairs and out the back of the tower. Here, they found a large garden mostly covered in grass with Bellsprout statues in the corners and as a few patches of flowers dotted around. It was surrounded by large trees and a wooden fence to keep anyone from sneaking in. He spoke, "This should do nicely for your Aura training, young man. Please be mindful of the statues, though. As for the spirit you were referring to, I've seen her near the trees over there at times." He pointed to the far side of the garden, then finished, "If there is anything else I or one of the Sages can do to help, please let us know." With that, he walked back inside the tower and began making his way back up the stairs.

Ninetales turned to Hareta and said, "Let's go meet your new teacher. She's been waiting a long time to meet you." Hareta nodded and he and Sneasel followed her in the direction that Elder Li pointed them towards. As they got close to the trees, a cloud of blue mist began to form near the fence, taking on the shape of Lyra Dia. Ninetales smiled, "It is good to see you again, Lyra."

Lyra smiled back, "Indeed, and I am glad to see that you are well, Ninetales." She then looked towards Hareta and came over to get a closer look at him. After looking him over, she said, "It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Hareta. I am your great aunt, Lyra Dia."

Hareta bowed a bit, "It's great to meet you too, Aunt Lyra. So you're going to be my teacher now?"

Lyra nodded, "Yes. While Enta would have been an excellent teacher as well, he wanted to make sure you knew how to defend yourself if trouble came. After all, Guardians like him focus more on training to fight than most Aura Guardians do."

Hareta asked, "So Grandpa Enta was like a knight in some ways? Wow... He never mentioned that to me, or much else about his life during the times we talked."

Ninetales spoke, "Well, that time was well-spent, Hareta. You did do quite well at defending yourself when those Darklings ambushed us on Route 46."

Lyra turned to her and asked, "You mean you were attacked while you were trying to make your way here? Did you all make it through without getting hurt?" After Ninetales explained what happened, she sighed, "Thank goodness. Until now, I was worrying whether or not you managed to escape the attack that Enta said Faust launched on Blackthorn City."

Hareta gasped, "Blackthorn City was attacked?"

Lyra turned back to him and answered, "Yes. After his form was broken, Enta said that Faust unleashed his Darklings on the city. His consciousness faded shortly afterwards, but before it did, he saw that they attacked most of the buildings and said that the Trainers were trying to repel the invasion. He came a few minutes before you arrived to tell me that the attack was over, but most of the buildings are in ruins and he doesn't know if there are any survivors since he only regained consciousness a short while ago."

Hareta seemed to be frozen in shock at hearing this news, and everyone quickly took notice. They boy dropped to his knees, then raised his hands to his face and began to cry. Although startled, they quickly understood what he was upset about. Sneasel, Ninetales, and Lyra came closer to him, each giving him a gentle embrace and whispering words of comfort. The thought that all of his friends, along with the citizens of Blackthorn City, may have been killed was something that wasn't going to be easy to cope with. He was sure he would've stood no chance against Faust had he stayed, but it didn't change the guilt he was feeling now.

Hareta eventually cried himself to sleep, so Ninetales picked him up and took him inside, asking the Sages if there was a place in the tower she could put him in for a while. They directed her to a chamber with a bed, where she laid him down on his side after taking Tsumugari off of his back and setting it next to the bed. Sneasel climbed into bed with him and, feeling tired herself, fell asleep while clinging onto his chest. By doing this, she hoped that she would have a positive effect on him, wanting him to know that he still had friends and family who loved him and didn't want to see him give up.

Ninetales exited the chamber and went back out into the garden, sitting down on the steps. Lyra appeared next to her and they talked for a while about how to help Hareta like Sneasel was trying to do and what would get his spirit back. She eventually went back inside and went back to the chamber, dismissing her disguise and curling up at the foot of the bed. She couldn't help but shed a few tears herself, knowing what it was like for someone to be faced with the possibility that they might have lost someone they were close to.

**The bottom of the sea**

In the deepest depths of the ocean, a large white and blue feathered Pokémon paused in its swimming and looked up towards the surface. It looked up for several moments, as if contemplating what it sensed and its decision, before swimming forwards a bit and then angling upwards. It didn't take long for it to reach the surface, crashing out of the water and spreading its majestic wings. It then began to fly away from the four islands that it surfaced near...

**Meanwhile, the Sinnoh region, Canalave City**

Koya and his Absol hurried through the streets of the city, heading for the Pokémon Center. While they were training, they were suddenly attacked by wild Pokémon. From what Koya could tell, some seemed to be enraged for some reason, while others he wasn't sure what their intentions were. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the lights from the Pokémon Center at the end of the street. Once inside, he recalled Absol back to his Poké Ball and left him and the rest of his Pokémon with Nurse Joy to check up on them. He then went over to one of the empty couches and took a seat, looking at his watch and seeing that it was close to 5pm.

"Hey! Koya!" The blonde's head snapped up when he heard a familiar voice and turned to his left to see Mitsumi and Jun coming over to him. Jun reached him first and said, "I didn't think we'd run into you here. How have you been, man?"

Koya looked away from him and said, "I've been busy training. I hope you have been doing likewise, considering the outcome of our battle at the Sinnoh League."

Jun glared at him, "Okay, so you beat me three to zero! You did that to most of your other opponents too! It's not like I'm the only one you swept!" He then calmed down a bit and said, "Seriously though, it has been a while since we've seen you. Did you come here to get away from those clouds too?"

Koya nodded, "Yeah, that and something else. I saw some strange Pokémon while I was out training. They... I don't know how to describe them. They just seemed unusual even though they looked familiar. Between them and the ones that were angry for some reason, I thought it would be best to go somewhere that was a little safer."

Mitsumi nodded, "Can't really argue with you on that. I just hope that this isn't the beginning of something terrible, like Riley said."

Jun turned to her and said, "It could be. But let's hope that it's not, because that might mean that our nightmares could come true..."


	39. Legacy

**Sprout Tower**

Lyra walked into the chamber where Ninetales had put Hareta, looking to see if he had woken up yet. It had been almost 9 hours since he had fallen asleep, so she thought he would be up, even if he was still upset. Inside the chamber, she found Ninetales still curled up at the end of the bed, a few spots on the floor near her muzzle that were still wet, and Sneasel resting atop the sheets. Both of them began to stir when they heard the chamber door slide open.

Ninetales pushed herself up and stretched a bit before looking in Lyra's direction and saying, "Ah, good, err, morning I suppose, Lyra." She looked over at the bed and noticed Sneasel was sitting up and looking around for Hareta. They both turned back to Lyra and Ninetales asked, "Where's Hareta?"

Lyra sighed, "I was hoping one of you knew. I thought he'd be up by now, but I didn't know that he'd leave the room as well." She then remembered, "Jade said that she'd be keeping an eye on the garden. Let's go see if she has seen him." Both Ninetales and Sneasel nodded and followed her out of the chamber, the door sliding shut behind them.

As they walked out into the gardens, they noticed the shiny Lucario standing near the door looking towards the center of the garden with her arms crossed. They approached her and Lyra asked, "Excuse me, Jade. Have you seen Hareta this morning?"

Jade turned to look up at her friend and master and replied, "Just look there." She pointed in the direction she had been looking, Lyra, Ninetales, and Sneasel looking that way to see Hareta sitting on the ground. He was sitting Indian-style, his arms going down so his hands rested on the sides of his legs while his face was angled downward. Jade spoke, "He's been sitting like that for a while. I saw him come out earlier and, when I asked him what he was doing, he said that he was hoping that being among nature might help clear his mind. I suggested he try meditating, so that's what he has been up to."

Lyra said, "I see. Thank you, Jade." She then began to walk over to Hareta, noticing that his meditation was making his hair move similar to the way a Lucario's dreadlocks move when they focus their Aura. As she began to approach him, he heard her boots crunching against the grass and opened his eyes, his hair settling back into its usual messy look as he looked up. She spoke, "Good morning, Hareta. I trust you are well?"

Hareta looked up at her for several moments before looking down and sighing, "Not as well as I would like to be."

Lyra sighed as the others began to come over, "You're still upset, aren't you? It's understandable. No one ever wants to think about losing any of their friends."

Sneasel came over to Hareta and hopped onto his legs, wrapping her arms around his waist as she said, "(I know how you feel, daddy. I'm really sad about it too. But I don't want to see you give up, and neither does anyone else. You're too strong to do something like that.)"

Hareta placed a hand on her back as he said, "I'm sorry if it sounded like I was going to give up. But the news really was a shock, even though I should have been expecting to hear something like this. Still, I don't understand this Faust guy; what is he after?"

Ninetales said, "It is hard to say. I have known about him for a while, but I do not have a clear grasp of what he wants. While he seems to cause destruction from time to time, it seems as though his main goal is to either shroud everything in darkness or control the world. I don't completely understand Faust either."

After a moment, Lyra spoke, "Hareta... You said that Enta did not tell you much of anything about his life, correct?" At his nod, Lyra said, "I am sure you were motivated to learn about Aura because you were naturally curious about it, but at this point, you deserve to know more about what's going on. So I will tell you as much as I can about our lives. Make sure you're comfortable, though, as it is quite a long tale."

Once everyone was comfortably seated on the grass, Lyra began, "It was a long time ago. Almost 200... no, 300 years ago, I believe. At that time, there was actually a person named Faust; he worked for the king and queen as something of an advisor and a lord, so he was known as Lord Faust. He was a wonderful person, always thinking of others before him and helping with whatever he could. Unfortunately, this also led to much suffering."

Everyone remained silent, so Lyra continued, "One of the things he would commonly do is accompany explorers sent by the king and queen. One such expedition was a fateful trip to the Almia region. There were reports of a treasure being located that came from a folktale of the region known as 'The King of Almia and the Three Princes.' The treasure they uncovered was the legendary Shadow Crystal, which I've heard recently became the Luminous Crystal after a company in the region attempted to seize it for its head's purposes. Anyway, I don't know exactly what happened on that expedition, but I do know that he somehow came into contact with the Shadow Crystal and he became consumed by the darkness that it was emanating. From that moment on, he was a completely different person."

Hareta rubbed Sneasel's head as he asked, "What happened after he touched the crystal?"

Lyra answered, "I honestly don't know. My guess is that he turned on the explorers he was with and left them all dead. It's hard to say since no one ever heard from for a while after he left on that expedition. But he resurfaced some time later. By that time, I was 8 years old and Enta was barely a week old. We found out about Faust by the end of the week Enta was born."

Jade took over for Lyra, "Faust had somehow formed an army during his disappearance. He used it to stage a coup d'état, pushing through the best guards stationed at the castle and arriving amidst the fighting to personally deal with the king and queen. We know that the king was struck down in the throne room, but we never found out what happened to the queen. Although I always suspected that she might've joined the League under an alias..."

Sneasel asked, "('The League?' What's that?)"

Lyra spoke, "We'll get to that soon enough. After Faust assumed the throne through his bloody coup, he immediately set about making his rule known, sending his army to each of the regions. Our home in Ecruteak City was one of the first places struck in the Johto region. They attacked the city much the same way Blackthorn City was attacked yesterday. If it weren't for father, Enta and I probably wouldn't have survived it."

Ninetales spoke first, asking, "You mean Hiori, right? What happened on that day?"

Lyra, after a moment, said, "When the attack began, father and his Gallade friend, named Nebula, kept me, mother, and Enta together and we tried to escape south by going up the hill and through the forest. It was going well, even with Enta being upset about what was going on, until we were suddenly spotted and cornered at the gate. The leader of the attack, a knight in golden armor, offered father the chance to unlock his Aura potential if he came, since father had begun training here at the Sprout Tower for a while during Faust's disappearance. He initially refused, but gave in when the soldiers threatened to kill us. He then agreed to come if we would be allowed to live and made sure we were well up the hill before leaving with them. Unfortunately, not everyone is as good as their word..."

Before she continued, she took another moment to regain her composure when she thought about what happened next. She soon continued, "After father and Nebula were sufficiently far enough away, that knight ordered his soldiers to kill us, so they immediately gave chase. We had just reached the forest when they made it over the hill and chased us for a long time. We did manage to evade them, but during the process, mother was gravely wounded. As I watched her draw her last breaths, she entrusted Enta to me, asking me to take care of him. ...I didn't move for the longest time after she died. I couldn't take it; the darkness that controlled Lord Faust had taken away most of my family and it was too much to bear. Only when I heard the sound of clanking metal did I come to my senses and leave the forest, taking one final look at mother as I ran with Enta in my arms."

Everyone was silent after hearing about what happened. Eventually, Lyra continued, "The next twenty years were never the kindest to us, but Enta and I somehow managed to survive by watching over each other. During that time, we met Jade and the legendary Suicune, who stayed with us because Enta saved it from a squad of soldiers that had cornered it when it was weak. Father and Nebula, meanwhile, had to deal with harsh training every day and working as assassins for Faust to wipe out any Aura users that could be found. That's why there are hardly any alive today; many were killed by Faust in one way or another."

Jade spoke, "One of the Aura guardians who didn't get killed was a man named Siegfried. He went into hiding during the early years of Faust's reign, but came out of hiding years later to lead assaults on strongholds with his own private army. We looked up to him, even after he was blinded when Hiori was sent to kill him. Even though he could see with his Aura, he believed that being blinded by an assassin meant he was no longer fit to be an Aura Guardian. We tried our best to bring his spirit back, but it was useless until Hiori found him again."

Hareta asked, "What happened? What did great grandpa do?"

Lyra said, "Father had been given a new mission, one that would bring together all of Faust's enemies. He tracked down Siegfried both to help bring others to his cause and in an effort to properly learn how to use Aura. Enta and I were with him at the time, and if it weren't for the fact that soldiers were tracking down Siegfried, we probably would've gotten into a fight. We worked together and managed to get to safety, and, after being persuaded enough by father, Siegfried mentioned that an old friend of his might be able to help."

Jade took over, "Lord Jameson was not easy to win over, but he was eventually able to rally his allies together after Hiori rescued Jessica, his wife, and proved that Faust was not invincible. Unfortunately, we were all hit by the truth when we all came together. During the meeting, the golden knight, who we only knew as Akagi, attacked and captured almost everyone at the meeting. Suicune and I weren't captured because Enta and Lyra forced us to leave when the soldiers arrived. Hiori would've been killed by Akagi if it weren't for Nebula, who was badly hurt and knocked out trying to save him."

Hareta asked, "So how did Aunt Lyra and the others get free?"

Jade answered, "After Akagi left, Suicune and I located Hiori, who had just been found by Nazuna. During his work with Faust, she helped him reach all the different regions and he rescued her after she was branded a traitor. When Hiori voiced his decision to make things right, we went with him after he tracked Enta, Lyra, and the other League founders to Faust's keep. He went in alone while we prepared to extract everyone once they were freed. I kept in contact with him through my Aura, and once he managed to reach the throne room, we made our move."

Lyra continued, "Father managed to defeat Akagi in a battle, but we believe he was tempted into falling back to darkness when faced with the thought of either killing him or Faust. But he resisted it and told Siegfried he'd cover our escape. But Faust made one last move, attacking Siegfried with that black lightning that you have seen. Father got in the way and held it at bay while we ran from the soldiers. Before they could kill us, he released all the Aura he had, creating a large explosion that stopped the soldiers and distracted Akagi and Faust. We then made our escape with the aid of Suicune and the other Pokémon aboard Nazuna's ship."

After a moment of silence, remembering Hiori's sacrifice, Lyra continued, "We located Nebula and went to Ecruteak City, back to our old home. More than willing to continue what father started, we agreed to form a group dedicated to restoring peace. And so our group, the Pokémon League, was born."

Hareta asked, "The Pokémon League? Is that at all related to the Pokémon League of today?"

Lyra nodded, "That is correct. We adapted the name because we often heard people comment on how we saw Pokémon. Granted, many other groups had Pokémon in them, like dragon mounts and the like, but we were different. You could almost say we were the first modern-day Pokémon Trainers. In fact, that Poké Ball symbol you see so often is actually our family crest, which we adapted as the flag of our league."

While Hareta thought about all this, Jade spoke, "For several years afterward, we continued the fight that Hiori had begun. At the beginning, the Pokémon League was made up of Enta, Lyra, Lord Jameson, Lady Jessica, Siegfried, Nazuna, Enta's rival Mitsuki, a former aristocrat named Rachel, Suicune, Nebula, and myself. Thanks to Lord Jameson, Mitsuki, and Rachel, our League grew and we eventually won the war against Faust."

Sneasel asked, "(But if you won, how did he return?)"

Lyra said, "You see, in our last battle with Faust, Enta dueled him with Tsumugari while I prepared a spell that was strengthened by my Aura. I cast it on him once Enta had managed to immobilize him, thinking it would get rid of him forever, but it had a different effect. Instead of destroying him, it somehow removed the darkness that had corrupted him and sealed it away."

Ninetales asked, "What happened to Lord Faust?"

Jade spoke, "He was not very happy at first, having seen everything that the darkness forced him to do, but Enta and Lyra were able to help him get over it and he took the throne once again, this time as a good ruler. Lyra became a scholar for him, Enta became a freelance knight whose loyalty was to him, and the rest of the League members either went their separate ways or helped spread the Pokémon League. After he had thought about it, Lord Faust declared our group the highest authority on Pokémon and had an establishment set up in every region across the world. These regional establishments, besides being the authority of Pokémon, would hold various events, paving the way for the tournaments that Trainers know today."

Hareta said, "Wow, that's amazing! But did you know that the darkness that possessed Lord Faust would return someday?"

Lyra nodded, "Yes. Lord Faust was not convinced that the darkness was gone forever, so after several years of peace, he called on me and Jade to do whatever research we could on the subject. And after many years of searching, we finally came across something. But by then, Lord Faust had passed on and we were getting old ourselves. And even if we weren't, we wouldn't have been able to do anything to stop the darkness' return. For what we found was an ancient prophecy."

Ninetales asked, "A prophecy? Of what sort?"

Lyra explained, "It was extremely old, maybe being from the time of myths. But I will tell you what we could translate. Simply put, it said that the darkness would return someday and attempt to take its hold over the world again. But to succeed, it would have to do battle with the one who ended the ages-old battle between time and space and befriended the being in a world on the other side of ours."

Hareta muttered, "Battle between time and space... That's gotta be referring to Dialga and Palkia. And the being in a world on the other side of ours... I think dad said that the Distortion World where Giratina lives is... Wait... Are you saying...?"

Jade nodded, "Yes. We are sure of it. Hiori, Enta, Lyra, and myself have not left this world because we wanted to guide the one who would fulfill the prophecy. And Hiori has been watching you since you were born. He knows of what transpired at the Spear Pillar and when that man who looks like Lord Faust tried to capture Giratina for his own selfish desires. You must be the one that the prophecy was referring to, Hareta."

Hareta gasped, "Me...? But... what makes me different? What can I do that no other Aura Guardian can't?"

Lyra shook her head, "I'm not sure, I'm afraid. The rest of the text had been worn away over the ages and was illegible. But now you know the whole story, Hareta. So what will you do now?"

Hareta set Sneasel down as he stood up, "I need a minute to think about everything I've just heard..." With that, he walked back inside the Sprout Tower.

Jade sighed, "It's never easy to fully grasp what life has planned for you. Do you believe he'll reconsider finishing his training?"

Sneasel spoke, "(No way! Hareta will never give up! I know he won't!)"

Ninetales said, "Calm down, Sneasel. No one was suggesting that he was going to give up. All we can do is wait and see what he says when he comes back."

They didn't wait long as Hareta came back outside after a few minutes, his head down. As he stood before everyone, he lifted his face to look at them, revealing his usual determined face. He then said, "Aunt Lyra, I would be honored if you would train me to be an Aura Guardian like Grandpa Enta before me." Lyra just smiled at him, showing her faith in him.

**Meanwhile, at the Spear Pillar**

The forms of Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf floated in front of three portals that seemed to be suspended in midair. They were positioned around the square with a triangle cut into it near the north end of the summit ruins, a blue portal floating to the upper left of the square, a pink portal floating to the upper right, and a black portal floating in front of the square.

From the blue portal came a deep voice, "UXIE, MESPRIT, AZELF... HOW IS OUR FRIEND DOING?"

Mesprit spoke in a soft, feminine tone, "He appears to be doing well. It seems he has learned something very important about himself."

A deep voice from the pink portal spoke, "AND HE ACCEPTS IT? HE TRULY IS NOBLE FOR HIS AGE. WHAT OF HO-OH, LUGIA, SUICUNE, ENTEI, AND RAIKOU?"

Uxie spoke in an experienced voice, "We have alerted them to what is happening and what they must do. Suicune, Entei, and Raikou are currently on their way to where they first saw his friends, and Ho-Oh and Lugia are going to lend their powers to stop the dark army."

A dark but kind voice came from the black portal, "So everything is ready now... The outcome of this battle now depends on fate. All we can do now is pray that fate will favor our friend over the darkness."

Azelf spoke in an assured tone, "He won't falter under the darkness. And he will prevent it from reaching the jewel's holder." With that, the Lake Trio disappeared back to their respective lakes while the three portals closed and vanished.


	40. The Stalker

Several days have passed since Lyra began to train Hareta in the use of Aura. At least, it was assumed days were passing. The clouds covering the sky had darkened to a thick black and gray color, blocking out the sunlight completely. Because of this, police all over every region advised everyone to stay indoors unless going out on the streets was absolutely necessary and never to do so without a source of light. At the Sprout Tower, lanterns were placed around the garden so that everyone could see what they were doing. Thanks to Lyra's tutoring, Hareta was beginning to show real progress with using his Aura effectively.

On this day in Blackthorn City, the doors of the Pokémon Center slid open and several figures emerged from between them. They were Gold, Kotone, Empoleon, Luxray, Lucario, Grovyle, Minun, Bayleef, Pikachu, Geodude, Kirlia, Cubone, and Noctowl. Both Gold and Kotone turned around after stepping outside while the Pokémon stopped after putting a short distance between them and the two Trainers. Clair stood in the doorway with something in her hands. Everyone had bandages on and Gold had Hareta's backpack slung over his shoulder.

"Are you sure this is wise? You heard the warning that the police issued. It's not safe to be out right now and you're still recovering from that attack several days ago," Clair said.

"We know, and we appreciate everyone's concern for us. But we're concerned about Hareta, and his Pokémon are even more concerned than we are. And considering what had happened before the attack, he could be in great danger now. The longer we wait, the better the chance that we won't be able to find him in time," Gold replied.

Clair nodded, "I see. Then at least take these with you." She held out a pair of flashlights to them so that they would have an easier time navigating the mountain paths.

They both took one and Kotone said, "Thanks, Clair! And don't worry, we'll be fine. Just make sure that everyone in Blackthorn City stays safe until this blows over." Clair nodded and turned around, going back inside to check on her grandfather and everyone else staying at the Pokémon Center while Gold, Kotone, and the Pokémon made their way south.

**Sprout Tower**

Hareta stood in the center of the garden, his eyes closed. He brought his arms in front of his chest, one over the other as he focused in his head. After several moments of standing like this, he quickly brought his arms out to his sides as he raised his head skyward and let out a yell. As he did so, a blue flame began to form around him, spreading out until it had expanded to the length he could extend his arms. He lowered his head, his eyes opening to reveal that they were glowing a light blue color.

Lyra approached him from the side, Hareta turning to look at her as she applauded. She said, "Good work, Hareta. This state can often be tricky to attain, as it means connecting with the Aura within your body. As you continue to improve, you'll be able to unleash it while not needing to focus as much."

Hareta smiled, "Thanks, Aunt Lyra!"

Her tone then turned serious, "But be careful of how you use this ability. While you're drawing your Aura outside of your body, it not only can recover quicker, but you also use up more. If you use this ability recklessly, you'll end up tiring yourself out extremely quickly. Always bear that in mind before you unleash your Aura."

Hareta nodded, "Will do."

Lyra nodded back and said, "Very well then. Now that you have learned how to go into that state, let's work on offensive and defensive moves. Aura is a very versatile thing. By understanding its properties, one can use it to attack foes in more ways than just the well-known Aura Sphere. In addition, it can also be used to protect and even to heal. Anyone who has tapped into their Aura even once will be able to heal much faster than usual, and, through practice, can heal others, even from a distance. I'm going to teach you how to do all of this now, for I fear that we may be pressed for time. Now pay close attention. If you overuse your Aura and try to use it before it recovers, you'll grow even more fatigued than normal. So we need to work on establishing your limits as well."

From nearby, Jade, Ninetales (in her human illusion), and Sneasel watched the training. They wanted to stay nearby to help Lyra figure out ways to help Hareta when he struggled and to observe his growth in general. While doing so, Jade and Ninetales constantly kept watch for any of Faust's Darklings, agreeing with Lyra that they would be pressed for time, especially if his armies were to launch a full attack.

**The Sinnoh region, the Pokémon League HQ**

Cynthia stood in front of a table that was covered in various maps. Many of these were maps of the Johto and Kanto regions, as well as a few world maps, and they ranged between current day maps and maps found from long ago. As she looked the maps over, she murmured, "I'm sure I've pinpointed the exact location of the Sinjoh Ruins. The problem is going to be getting there, considering that area is barraged by cold weather and many mountains. I can't help but feel that it has a connection to what's going on now." Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, so Cynthia turned and said, "Come in."

The door opened and Bertha walked in. As soon as she saw Cynthia, she said, "Cynthia, you have to come see this. Something is happening." Cynthia followed her out of the room and to a room where Aaron, Flint, and Lucian had gathered. They were all gathered around a large monitor, observing something.

Aaron looked up when the two ladies entered the room and said, "Cynthia! Come take a look at this." Cynthia came over to the monitor, which was displaying a map of the Sinnoh region and noticed that there were clumps of dots at several points on the map.

She turned to Aaron and asked, "What is this showing?"

Aaron replied, "Remember that weird creature we saw the other day? We had it analyzed and, according to the readings, all those dots stand for similar creatures. I have a feeling something big is going to happen, Cynthia. What do you think?"

Cynthia looked back at the screen for a moment, her blonde hair hiding her face from side view, then turned back to her fellow elites and said, "I agree with you, Aaron. We'd better alert the police to increase the regional security precautions, and we should be ready to move out just in case. Lucian, can you contact Frontier Brains and the police?"

Lucian nodded, "Of course, Cynthia." With that, he left the room to go contact both with their findings.

Cynthia, meanwhile, turned back to the screen and thought, "_What is happening now? First the sun gets blocked out, then it almost feels like there are small distortions occurring around us, and now this. Is this because of the gods, or is an even greater force behind it all? And more importantly, are we going to be able to handle whatever this crisis is?_"

**Later, a room in the underground control center**

A man with spiky blue hair and cold, unfeeling eyes stared up at a monitor on the wall. He was wearing futuristic-style clothing and a vest that had a 'G' on one side. Suddenly, a woman with purple hair tied back in two places in the back walked up behind him and said, "Master Cyrus?"

Cyrus turned around and said, "Yes, Jupiter. What is it?"

Standing up straight, Jupiter replied, "It seems that the Pokémon League has increased the level of the police warning. According to the Elite Four, there are possible sightings of unusual creatures around the Sinnoh region. Because of this, they, along with the Frontier Brains, are on standby in case something happens. This may be attributed to what B-2 reported a few days ago."

Cyrus nodded, "I see. Thank you, Jupiter. Until further notice has been given, we will remain here and continue to scan these unusual occurrences." Jupiter bowed to Cyrus and turned around, leaving the room. After the doors closed, Cyrus turned back to the monitor and thought, "_This couldn't be related to Dialga, Palkia, or that unusual Pokémon that Hareta and his father know about. But at the same time, this is something on a level close to theirs. I wonder if we can count on Hareta to come through again, even if the only thing he cares about is having fun..._"

**Sprout Tower**

Hareta walked into the chamber he had been using for sleeping and sat down on the side of the bed. Lyra suggested that he stop for a little while to let his Aura recover naturally. He had overused it a bit during the training and Lyra, having determined his limits, decided that it would be best to rest. Sneasel came in shortly after he sat down, followed by Ninetales, and he smiled at both of them.

Hareta laid down to take a quick nap, Sneasel snuggling up next to him while Ninetales dismissed her disguise and laid down at the foot of the bed again. As she lightly shut her eyes, she thought, "_Everything we've researched about the Dia family really is true... Although we didn't know about the prophecy. Perhaps we would have been better prepared if we had known._"

**In a temple area**

Hareta opened his eyes, pushing himself off of the ground and looking around. He was standing on a cracked stone platform with two large statues nearby. Everything below the platform was pitch black, making it impossible to see what was below. "How did I get here...? I thought I was taking a nap!" Hareta muttered to himself.

Standing up, he took another look at the statues and noticed there was some kind of blue line reaching from one to the other, and the statue on his right was holding an orb of some sort in its hand. After examining it for a moment, Hareta held out a hand towards it and focused his Aura on the orb. He then began to move his hand in the direction of the other statue, the orb sliding along the line as it was pushed. Once it reached the other statue, the blue line disappeared and the statue turned to its left with the orb, the platform Hareta was standing on moving after it. Once it stopped moving, another line, which was more complex than the previous one, appeared between two other statues. "I think I get it now..." Hareta murmured, realizing that this must be some kind of a test.

After getting past that pair of statues and another set, the platform Hareta was on touched solid ground and he got off. Walking forward a bit, he found a bridge that looked like its pieces were scattered. Walking onto the first segment, he used his Aura to manipulate a nearby segment and position it so he could leap across to it. He continued doing this to move forward until suddenly, one of the segments he was on turned completely black and disappeared right out from under him! Hareta fell for several moments until he landed softly on a stone platform. Standing up, he looked around a moment before he sensed something behind him. Turning around, he gripped the hilt of the Tsumugari as he noticed black smoke a few feet behind him. As he looked at it, he heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed and raspy, metallic breathing.

A figure then moved within the smoke, coming towards him and revealing itself. The figure appeared quite intimidating: it was a little shorter than Mitsumi and was carrying a blood-red sword in its right hand that looked somewhat like a twisted version of Tsumugari. It wore a helmet that covered almost its entire head and light black armor that sent shivers down his spine. The pale arms of the figure were exposed to the air, revealing the runic symbols adorning them, its fingers had claw-like extensions at the ends, the front of the upper section of the armor looked like it had metallic ribs, and black cloths ran down between the legs, which were surrounded by lightweight armor and black boots. Although the figure was terrifying, Hareta drew Tsumugari, knowing that a fight was coming.

After a moment of walking towards him, the warrior ran towards Hareta with its blade at its side. Hareta responded in kind and they locked blades, pushing against each other. Although the warrior was taller than Hareta, it seemed as though they were about even in strength. After several moments of their blades scraping against each other, Hareta managed to push the warrior's away and attempted to slash him. The warrior dodged his slashes and put an arm against Hareta's face to keep him at a distance, only to get knocked back when Hareta hit it with a surge of Aura.

After the warrior stood up, it jumped on an angle in Hareta's direction, spinning as it did. Once it was close enough, it dropped suddenly, slamming its sword into the ground and creating a shockwave that threw Hareta near the edge of the platform. As he stood up, the warrior took on the appearance of Enta Dia, exactly as Hareta remembered seeing him except for the fact that he didn't look like a ghost anymore. Although it continued to attack him, Hareta couldn't bring himself to attack the warrior as it was, even though he knew it was an illusion. This eventually paid off, as the illusion soon gave away and the warrior returned to normal.

Taking this chance, Hareta focused his Aura into his legs and made a dash towards it, striking with Tsumugari as he got close. This knocked the warrior off its feet and sent it flailing off the edge of the platform. "Shoot! I didn't mean to do that!" Hareta exclaimed, running to the edge. He stopped partway and whirled around as he heard the warrior laugh at him, appearing from a cloud of blue mist above the center of the platform. "Oh, a practical joker, huh? Very funny," Hareta muttered. After it stopped laughing, the figure held out a hand towards Hareta and launched a beam of Aura at him, wanting to return the favor. Hareta retaliated with a beam of his own, just barely stopping the warrior's in time and dashing out of the way while they were stopped.

The warrior came at him with a combo of slashes, but failed to harm Hareta due to him deflecting the attacks with Tsumugari. Hareta then responded with his own series of strikes, though on his final strike, he transferred a bit of his Aura into Tsumugari and struck the ground in front of the warrior, the energy being released from the blade and sending the warrior towards the center of the platform. After it stood up, Hareta held Tsumugari over his right shoulder and charged towards the warrior while it held its blade back. The two blades connected, both fighters staring each other in the face for a moment before Hareta pushed the warrior's blade away and, before it could try anything else, brought Tsumugari up along the side of its mask, knocking it off as the warrior reeled back. The warrior was hunched over for a moment, holding its free hand over its face, before it straightened up a bit and looked directly at Hareta. As he saw its face, Hareta's expression was one of shock and horror. "_It... It can't be. This guy... It's me?_" Hareta thought.

Underneath its mask, the warrior's head was bald and its eyes were a pale orange, almost as if hinting that they were once a brown color. Its face also had several scars adorning it, especially the middle of it, but otherwise, the warrior looked like a paler, more teenage version of Hareta. While he was distracted by its true appearance, the warrior spun around with its sword in its right hand, then spun again while aiming for Hareta's legs. Hareta managed to recover from his shock in time to roll over the blade and looked back to see the warrior gathering energy around it. With an animalistic growl, it released the energy and destroyed the platform they were standing on, sending Hareta deeper into the darkness beneath them, screaming all the way.

Eventually, Hareta landed on another stone platform and he stood up after recovering from landing on his front. Looking to one side of the platform, he saw his dark doppelganger floating in the air and yelled, "Hey, who are you? And why do you look like me?"

His double flashed him a cruel smile as he said, "I look like you because I AM you! I am the evil part of you, all of your dark thoughts and everything you fear to be! You may be strong, but you'll never defeat me! As long as you exist, I exist!" As he was speaking, broken column pieces began to gravitate closer to him. Once he was finished, he moved an arm in Hareta's direction and one of the pieces suddenly flew towards him! Hareta ran away when he saw it coming, just barely avoiding it. The piece broke the part of the platform he had been standing on, leaving a hole in the middle.

Hareta's nightmare continued to throw the stone pieces at him, Hareta doing his best to avoid them, though he still got nicked by one or two pieces that knocked him to the ground. Once they were all used up, the evil Hareta suddenly appeared over him and began gathering Aura energy. Hareta attempted to retaliate with an Aura Sphere, but it was rendered useless when his evil side released the Aura it had gathered, breaking more of the platform and sending Hareta flying in the process. It then went back to hurling column pieces at him and the sequence repeated, both sides trading blows whenever they could, until the platform was broken completely by a burst of Aura from the evil Hareta.

They both fell until they landed on another platform, which, except for the cracks in its surface, seemed stable. Hareta led off by firing an Aura Sphere at his evil self, which sent him sprawling across the platform. It flipped up after stopping and, as Hareta approached it, channeled its Aura into the ground, right underneath the spot Hareta was about to step on. Once he did, the Aura suddenly forced him to stop moving, Hareta groaning as he was suddenly surrounded by small chunks of stone. He struggled to escape the hold, but he couldn't break free in time and got speared by the stones surrounding him, falling to the ground in the process. His dark double ran towards him, attempting to skewer him before he could get up, but Hareta rolled out of the way before the blade could touch him and retaliated with a Focus Blast, sending his double flying off the platform, thought it soon reappeared in the center.

After a bit more of trading blows, Hareta leapt into the air as he ran towards his double, dashing at it while in midair. As he came close, he slashed at it, only to for the strike to be blocked. He quickly did two more slashes; although they were both blocked, the second caused the doppelganger to lose its balance and fall off of the edge of the platform. Before it could fall all the way, it grabbed Hareta's left leg with its free left hand and yanked him off the platform! Hareta eventually landed on a stone segment hard on his back. Immediately after landing, he went over the side, though he managed to right himself and grab onto the side before he fell further. He looked up to see his double coming towards him, its blade at its side. At the last second, he pushed off the platform and flipped around in the air, now being right behind his double. He quickly turned around and swung Tsumugari at it, only for it to vanish again.

After glancing to both sides, Hareta looked up to see his worse half reappear back up on the platform. It then pulled three column segments towards it and threw them at Hareta. As they came closer, Hareta took Tsumugari in a reverse grip and leapt towards the segment closest to him. He then dashed up the side, leaping towards the next when he was at the top and repeated the process until he got to the top of the third segment. He then leapt straight up towards the platform and, as he neared it, made a slash that had some Aura energy behind it. Even without the energy, he cleanly struck the dark double along its chest. While it was stunned from the slash, Hareta focused more energy into Tsumugari until some of the Aura extended past the tip of the blade. He then made a sideways slash with that extension as the double turned around, the Aura causing internal trauma. Stunned even further, the doppelganger fell backwards, wailing a bit as it fell off the platform. It landed hard on the segment Hareta had landed on before, raising some dust as it landed. A blue glow erupted from its chest, and a flash of light covered Hareta's vision as he looked down at it...

**Sprout Tower, bed chamber**

"(...Hareta! Hareta, wake up!)" The boy began to stir as he heard the voice of Sneasel in his ear. He moved his arms and pushed himself up, opening his eyes and realizing that he was on the floor. As he pushed himself into a sitting position, Sneasel jumped into his chest, looking extremely relieved and on the verge of tears. He noticed that Ninetales was sitting nearby, her face also showing relief. Hareta held an arm on Sneasel's back as she cried, "(I was so worried, Hareta! I heard you fall off the bed and then you wouldn't wake up!)"

Hareta patted her on the back saying, "Hey, I'm sorry to worry you. I'm alright now. Just had a bit of an out-of-body experience, I guess."

"An out-of-body experience, you say?" Hareta glanced up to see Lyra and Jade at the end of the bed, looking down at him. Lyra asked, "What do you mean by that?" Hareta explained what he had seen, including everything about his dark self. After he finished, Lyra said, "Hold still a second..." She then placed a hand on his forehead and closed her eyes, examining him with her Aura. After several moments, she opened them and muttered, "That's incredible..."

Ninetales asked, "What is it? What did you see?"

Lyra explained, "It seems as though Hareta's own Aura abilities have suddenly increased in strength. I thought I sensed a change in him while I was coming here, but this is not what I expected."

Jade spoke, "I think I know what happened. The dark version of himself that he saw was made of everything he feared and his dark thoughts. By facing and conquering over his own darkness, Hareta was able to let go of any fear he had about his own abilities, and thus they have completely awakened within him."

Lyra looked back at Jade and said, "You may be right, Jade." She looked back at Hareta and asked, "How do you feel right now, Hareta?"

Hareta looked down as he said, "Um... I don't think I can feel if my Aura abilities have gotten stronger or not, but I do know I feel more confident about using them."

Lyra smiled, "Well then, we'd better make sure you know how to use them so you can put that confidence to good use." Hareta nodded and followed Lyra out of the bed chamber, carrying Sneasel and being followed by Jade and Ninetales, who put up her disguise again.

**Meanwhile, in a dark forest**

Faust stood amongst the trees that were growing so close together that they blocked out most of the sky. He growled to himself, "Grr... How could that brat have managed to overcome his fears so easily? Now that he has erased any doubt about himself, he'll be able to reach his full strength in no time." He then began to walk along the forest path as he said, "Well, it matters not. I've already found what I was looking for. And now that I know where he is, I'll be able to make sure he ends up buried alongside his equally treacherous ancestors..."

* * *

The sequence where Hareta appears in a temple-like area and battles an evil version of himself was inspired by SW: TFU, specifically one of Galen Marek's visits to the Jedi Temple.

Also, Hareta gaining a boost in his own abilities is somewhat taken from Earthbound, when Ness confronts his Nightmare in Magicant and receives a massive boost in his stats.

Music:

An Unsettling Atmosphere - Distortion World (Pokémon Platinum)

A Trial of the Mind - Abyss of the Farplane (Final Fantasy X-2)

The Warrior - Mini-Boss (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

Internal Struggle - Zant Battle (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)

Potential Awakened - You Gained A Level! (Earthbound/Mother 2)

Darkness in the Forest - The Place (Earthbound/Mother 2)

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think if you feel like it!


	41. Darkness at Every Turn

**Oblivia region, Renbow Island**

The villagers that lived on Renbow Island fled from their village, which was currently being attacked by out-of-control Pokémon that came from the forest. As they attempted to escape to the south, they were stopped in their tracks by more wild Pokémon. The Pokémon began to move closer to them, forcing the villagers to either try to escape through the woods past the village or surrender themselves.

Suddenly, a purple beam and a ball that appeared to be made of a flurry of down struck the ground between the villagers and the Pokémon. The beam raised smoke while the ball spread out into white mist upon impact, blocking the view on both sides. As the villagers stood, wondering what was happening, they heard a male voice and a female voice call, "Capture on!" After they heard that, they heard the sound of something being launched and something spinning. When the smoke and mist cleared, they saw that all of the Pokémon had calmed down, and behind them were a male Pokémon Ranger, Minami, the ukulele Pichu, Latias, and Latios. Once the Pokémon returned to the forest, the Rangers and their Pokémon partners hurried into the village to stop the rampaging Pokémon.

A while later, one of the village residents, Booker, stood before the two Rangers while the rest of the villagers headed back to their homes to see what kind of damage had been done. He spoke, "Minami, I can't thank you and your friend Natsuya enough for coming to help us! If you hadn't shown up when you did... I think it's very clear what would've happened to everyone."

Natsuya held a hand up, "Don't worry about it, Mr. Booker. That's why Pokémon Rangers have to be on call at all times. Especially all of the Rangers at the Ranger Union."

Minami cuddled Pichu against her chest as she said, "Everyone has had to be on call every waking moment lately. These rampaging Pokémon incidents are happening everywhere! Even the Rangers in the Fiore and Almia regions are being overwhelmed by everything that's been happening. And we still have no idea what the cause of all this is!"

Booker replied, "Well, the important thing is to try to deal with what's going on at the moment. Just like everyone here did back when we were evacuating the Pokémon from Dolce Island. You remember what happened back then, don't you, Minami?"

Minami sighed, "Yeah, I remember that, Booker. I still find it hard to believe that the-" She was suddenly cut off when beeping came from both her and Natsuya's Capture Stylers. It was from the Ranger Union, so they both quickly checked what the message said. Afterwards, Minami looked back at Booker and said, "Sorry Booker, but we've got to get going. It's a message to return to the Ranger Union."

Booker replied, "It's no trouble, Minami. Just make sure both of you are careful, and, after this mess clears up, be sure to stop by again." Both Rangers nodded and then called for Latias and Latios, who were playing nearby. Both of the Eon Pokémon flew over and, after they each had their respective Ranger on their back, set out for the Almia region to the northeast.

**Meanwhile, the Johto region, Violet City**

Jade and Ninetales, who was in her human guise, were seated at the front of the Sprout Tower, meditating. While Hareta was getting on with his lessons in the garden, they were continuing to scan nearby regions with their internal vision for any signs of darkness. Since Hareta had conquered his fear the previous day, things had seemed quieter than usual and it was making everyone worried.

Suddenly, Ninetales turned to Jade and said, "I sensed something in the Oblivia region. Did you as well?"

The Lucario turned to her and said, "Yes, I felt it too. It seems as though the darkness managed to get some Pokémon in the region to behave rather irrationally. Just like it was known to do all those years ago..." A new sensation suddenly crossed her mind and she closed her eyes, focusing again. After several moments of silence, she opened her eyes and said, "Oh no... I think Faust knows where Hareta is! I just detected an increase in Darklings in the Johto region!"

Ninetales gave her an alarmed glance, "No way! How did he manage to find us?"

Jade shook her head, "I'm not sure. But I don't know any other reason for his servants to start appearing around the region unexpectedly. Unless he's moving forward with whatever he's been planning all this time..."

Ninetales stood up, "Well, it doesn't matter. We'd better let Lyra know about this." Jade nodded and stood up, both of them running back inside the Sprout Tower, heading for the garden.

Lyra stood near the stairs that led up to the door into Sprout Tower, watching Hareta as he practiced with Tsumugari while Sneasel was laying on the grass, watching him as if she were enamored. She turned around as she heard Ninetales and Jade coming towards her. She smiled, "Ah, Jade and Ninetales. What is it?"

Jade spoke, "I think Faust has figured out where Hareta is. I can feel a lot more Darklings around the Johto region than I did a short while ago. And they seem to be moving as if they have a purpose. They may be coming here now!"

Lyra looked shocked for a moment, but she then sighed, "I see. Then we have to make sure that Hareta gets away from here safely. He'll never get the chance to prove that he's the one the prophecy spoke of if he never gets the chance to search for Faust."

She turned her attention to Hareta and called for him, the boy gathering the wrappings for Tsumugari and sliding it back into its sheath before running over with Sneasel next to him. As they got close to everyone, Hareta asked, "What is it, Aunt Lyra?"

Lyra spoke, "I have some bad news, I'm afraid. Jade has detected an increase in Darklings around the Johto region. It would appear that Faust knows that you're here and is determined to take care of you now."

Hareta gasped, "No way! What are we gonna do now?"

Lyra replied, "There's not much we can do to prepare. The only reasonable course of action now is for you to get away from here. Faust's minions are no doubt going to be coming for you, and they won't mind causing more destruction and death while they're at it. To stay here would mean putting many lives in danger."

Hareta sighed, "I can't argue with you there. But what about my training?"

Lyra spoke, "You already finished your training days ago. All I kept you here for was to help you refine your abilities so that you could use them effectively. There's nothing else for me to teach you; I've taught you everything you need to know to face Faust. You're ready for him."

Hareta asked, "But how am I going to find him? We have no idea where he is!"

Lyra replied, "I am aware of that. It's clear that he's attempting to cover his tracks in every way possible, even making sure his Aura is hard to sense. But don't let that discourage you; search your feelings, Hareta, and you will find him."

A short while later, Hareta, Ninetales, and Sneasel stood near the bridge leading back into the main portion of Violet City. They were saying their goodbyes to Lyra and Jade, who were staying behind to guard the city in case the Darklings came to attack anyway. As she said goodbye, Lyra gave Hareta one last pearl of wisdom, "Hareta, I don't think I have to tell you this, but no matter what happens, don't give into anger. Not only does it blind, but you don't want to know what it does to your Aura skills. Avoid it at all costs."

Hareta nodded, "I understand. I never let myself get blinded when I fought Cyrus and Charon, and I won't let Faust get to me either. I promise." Everyone shared one last nod and, after Sneasel hopped into his arms to stay hidden, Hareta pulled the hood on his cloak up to hide his face. He then set out with Ninetales following closely behind him. As they disappeared into the perpetual darkness around them, Jade whispered, "May the Aura be with you, Hareta..."

**Meanwhile, on Route 45**

Gold and Kotone peeked out from behind a rock formation towards the other side of the river. Their entire journey down Route 45 had been done with caution. Almost immediately after they crossed the bridge out of Blackthorn City, they found that there were Darklings patrolling along the sides of the river, though there were a few spots that weren't overly guarded. By working together between the two of them and all of their Pokémon, they had managed to get about halfway down the route without encountering any major trouble. They had been seen by some of the smaller ones a few times, but they stopped them before they could alert their allies.

As they were sneaking around, Luxray and Lucario had been working together to track Hareta's path with their noses. They were forced to break off the trail whenever they needed to hide or move to the other side of the river, but they were still roughly following the path that Hareta's scent was strong on. Thankfully, the Darklings had no scent to speak of and it seemed that most people were heeding the alert placed by the police, as there were no other scents to mess with their tracking.

Eventually, they made it down to Route 46, which didn't seem to be as heavily guarded. As Gold, Kotone, and several of the Pokémon looked around, Luxray detected Hareta's scent going into the Dark Cave, but Lucario smelled that it was going south as well. Deciding to investigate south before going inside Dark Cave, they leapt down the ledge and scanned the grassy area they landed in. As she looked around with her flashlight, something caught Kotone's eye at the far side of the rise. Pointing the flashlight towards it, she gasped, "Gold, look!"

Gold and the Pokémon turned in the direction she was looking and were as surprised as she was at what they saw. Lying in the grass were Hareta's hat and the torn remains of the duffel bag he had been carrying Tsumugari in. They rushed over to the items, Gold picking up the hat while Kotone examined what was left of the duffel bag. She soon said, "Hareta was definitely attacked. There are some dark markings on this that we've seen those Darklings leave. They must've tried to catch him off-guard and the bag was hit during the scuffle."

Gold said, "But if both of these are here and he's not, then he must've managed to get away."

Kotone nodded, "Right. Luxray seemed to be saying that Hareta's scent went into the Dark Cave, and since they didn't pick up on his scent while we were traversing Route 45, he's either still in there or he made it to the Violet City exit. Either way, there's no telling where he is now..."

While they were musing, Lucario noticed that Minun's ears were drooping and came over to him. "(What's wrong, Minun?)" he asked.

The Cheering Pokémon murmured, "(I... I'm worried about Hareta. I know what he can do, but still... And even though we're not the same, I can't help but feel as though...)"

Lucario nodded, "(I know how you feel. Even though I know he's not related to me in any way, I too feel as though he's as much a parent to me as a friend. I'm worried about him too...)"

Grovyle and Empoleon overheard the two of them talking, both of them, along with everyone else, feeling the same worry for their Trainer and friend. Grovyle thought to himself, "(_Dang it! How could we have gotten separated like this? Hareta... Please be okay..._)"

The sound of growling behind them brought everyone out of their stupors, glancing back to see a group of Darklings on the ledge they jumped down from. "Well, we're not going that way! Let's get out of here!" Gold cried, shoving Hareta's hat into one of his hoodie's pockets and zipping it up as he got to his feet. Everyone quickly followed suit, following him down the opposite ledge to lose the sneaks. They then quickly hurried through the tall grass and through the guard house to Route 29. They stopped after leaving the guard house, relieved to see that they had not been followed. Gold then asked, "So where do we go now? Knowing how quick Hareta can be on his feet, there's no telling how far he's managed to get in the past couple of days!"

Kotone said, "You know, considering what's been going on now, it might be a good idea to stop by home real quick. I'm sure our parents are worried sick about us, even though we called them while we were staying at the Pokémon Center in Blackthorn City. Plus, we can check in with Professor Elm, see if he has any news for us."

Gold replied, "Okay, that sounds like a good idea, Kotone! I am worried about how my mom is doing right now." Before anything else could be done, there was a loud protest from Hareta's Pokémon. Knowing what was on their minds, Gold said, "Look guys, I'm really worried about him too. But we don't have any idea where he might've gone since what happened a few days ago. We start searching every trail now and we could waste a lot of time trying to find any trace of him. Let's just make a quick stop at New Bark Town, make sure everything is okay there, gather ourselves, and then start searching again." Although they were still a bit reluctant, Hareta's Pokémon agreed to Gold's plan, so the group began making their way east.

The duo and the Pokémon soon arrived at the western exit to New Bark Town. Thankfully, it seemed that it had not fallen under any attack yet, but with the constant darkness, it still felt a bit depressing to look around. Gold gathered Hareta's Pokémon back into their Poké Balls for the time being while his and Kotone's stayed out. They made their way through town quickly, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Since they lived close together, Gold and Kotone stayed together until they reached a turn where they were forced to split up.

Kotone quickly ran for her house with her Croconaw, Noctowl, and Kirlia behind her. Reaching the door, she pulled her house key out of her bag and unlocked the door, opening it. She was greeted by darkness and, worrying, called, "Mom? Dad?"

There was a moment of silence before a woman asked, "Kotone...? Is that you?" Elated at hearing the voice, Kotone walked inside the house with her Pokémon following, heading for the kitchen, where the voice came from. As she stepped inside the kitchen, she was greeted with a sudden hug. The one giving her the hug was a woman with a slightly similar hairstyle, who whispered, "My little girl... I'm so glad you're okay..."

Kotone returned the hug and said, "Mom... When I saw how dark the house was, I was worried they got to you too..." She then got out of the hug and asked, "What's going on? Why are all the lights off?"

Kotone's mother replied, "I'm sorry if it scared you. You see, there have been sightings of unusual creatures around New Bark Town since the phone lines and reception went down. Everyone's barricaded in their homes; we're all taking the police alert seriously, given how things are right now. Your father is asleep right now; he's been worrying non-stop for the last few days and finally managed to fall asleep a while ago. I'm a bit scared myself, but everything should be fine if we stay here in the dark."

Kotone nodded, "I see. Are you going to be all right if I leave? Gold and I are worried about a very good friend who has gone missing."

Her mother replied, "Don't worry about us, dear. We'll be fine until everything clears up. Before you go, though, Professor Elm asked us to tell you he wants to see you. He asked us and Gold's mother to tell you if we saw you."

Kotone nodded, "Okay, I'll go meet up with Gold and we'll see what he wants. I'll try to be back soon, mom." She then made her way out of the kitchen and out through the front door with the aid of her flashlight. Back outside, she headed in the direction of Gold's house, as it was on the way to Professor Elm's laboratory. As she reached the turn where she separated from Gold, she saw him, as well as his Bayleef, Pikachu, Tyrogue, and Buizel, waiting for her. As she neared them, she asked, "Gold, did you hear about Professor Elm?"

He nodded, "Yeah, my mom told me that he's looking for us, after she was done hugging me to death and telling me how worried she was about me." Kotone giggled at that, then they both made their way down the road to the lab. As they approached it, they noticed that there was a faint light coming from the windows, which boosted their spirits. Walking up to the door, Gold knocked, not wanting to scare anyone inside, and after waiting a few minutes, the door began to open. However, the two people that answered the door were not who either of them were expecting. Thanks to the faint light, they saw that the ones who answered the door were a woman with long purple hair and a man with short indigo hair. As both parties caught sight of each other, the same word exited everyone's mouths...

"YOU?"


	42. Beast Masters

Gold gagged as he looked at the two standing in the doorway, "Jessie? James? What are you two doing in Professor Elm's laboratory?"

Jessie pointed her finger right in Gold's face as she said, "Don't you go pinning anything on us, kid! My question is what are you doing here? Are you punks trying to get yourselves in trouble?"

Before the argument could continue any further, Professor Elm appeared behind Jessie and James and asked, "What's going on here? I asked you two to try and stay quiet." He then noticed Gold and Kotone and said, "Ah, Gold and Kotone! You have no idea how relieved I am to see you both! I assume you both got my message?"

Kotone nodded, "Yeah, our parents passed it onto us. But before anything else, could you tell us what these two are doing here?"

Jessie huffed, "For your information, little girl, James and I happen to be working as assistants for Professor Elm since all his other assistants are staying with their families."

James added, "We're getting caught up on all of our sciences here!"

Professor Elm spoke, "Actually, they came to the front door one day, all worn out and starving. My family and I helped them, but they didn't want to leave afterwards. So we've been letting them stay here in exchange for them cleaning up and helping with a few things around the house." Jessie and James looked a bit angry at what he said, even though they knew it was the truth.

Gold nodded, "Okay, that explains that. So why did you want to see us anyway?"

After ushering them in and moving towards the back of the lab, where Meowth was curled up on the floor, Professor Elm said, "First off, I wanted to thank you both for helping with my research. It seems Professor Oak made the right decision when he gave you both his latest Pokédex. But at any rate, part of the reason I wanted to see you was about what's happening now."

Kotone sighed, "You mean about the sky and the weird creatures, right? We don't know all that much about it either."

Professor Elm shook his head, "Well, I was going to ask if you knew anything, but there was something else I was going to tell you." As they both stood at attention, he continued, "A short while ago, maybe a day ago or so, a group of beautiful Kimono Girls came here looking for the both of you and your friend, Hareta. Speaking of which, where is he? I was hoping to meet him."

Gold rubbed his arm as he said, "Um... We kind of got separated a couple days ago while we were staying in Blackthorn City. Something big happened, and during the confusion, he ran off. Probably the smart thing to do, considering what we heard."

Professor Elm sighed, "I see. At any rate, they wanted to see you about a very urgent matter. When I told them I didn't know where you were, they told me to tell you that they were here and that they'll be waiting for you at the Ecruteak Dance Theater."

Kotone asked, "An urgent matter? What could it be?" She looked at Hareta's backpack as she said, "Well, since they were looking for Hareta too, maybe his Pokémon won't mind if we go see what they want to see us about."

Gold nodded, "Yeah. Thanks for telling us, Professor Elm. We'll go see them right now." With that, the two Trainers turned to leave.

Before they could reach the door, Professor Elm called, "If the two of you don't mind, could you take Jessie, James, and Meowth with you? It would give them something different to do in their spare time instead of curling up in a corner and crying all night."

Professor Elm's request caught everyone by surprise, Jessie exclaiming, "Are you crazy? We don't go anywhere with twerps!"

James added, "Unless it's absolutely necessary, that is."

Professor Elm spoke, "Listen, I don't mean to be rude to you three, but when you're not doing chores, you're huddled together crying about something. I can deal with it, but my wife and child have been asking me to get you to stop. And honestly, the way you've been in a deep depression most of the time since you got here is worrying me. I'm worried that I'm going to walk into my house at some point and find all three of you on the floor. ...Dead?"

Gold said, "Professor, it would be best if we got to Ecruteak City as soon as possible if the Kimono Girls are looking for us. And the fastest way would be to fly there. My Pidgeot's the only Pokémon either Kotone or I have that can carry people on its back. I don't know if it can carry both of us and them too."

Kotone spoke up, "Well, actually Gold, we could take them with us and still be able to fly to Ecruteak City. As long as Togetic doesn't mind, that is." Before Gold could ask her what she meant, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small pouch. Opening it, she dumped its contents into her free hand, revealing that it was holding a green stone with a yellow and orange center. She then said, "Remember when I won this Shiny Stone at the Bug-Catching Contest?"

Gold replied, "Yeah, I remember that day. But what does..." He stopped and thought a moment before saying, "Oh, right! Togetic evolves into Togekiss by use of a Shiny Stone! Do you think Togetic would be willing to evolve?"

Kotone answered, "Let's ask." She brought out Togetic's Poké Ball and sent it out, Togetic chirping as it appeared. Kotone then kneeled in front of it and said, "Togetic, I've been holding onto this Shiny Stone for a long time in case you ever wanted to evolve. I didn't show it to you before because I didn't know if you would want to, but if there was ever a time to evolve, considering what's going on now, now would be as good a time as any. And we could use another Pokémon that can fly and carry people. But I'm leaving the decision up to you." She then placed the Shiny Stone on the floor in front of Togetic.

The Happiness Pokémon looked at the stone for a minute before placing an arm on it. As soon as it touched it, Togetic was engulfed in a white light, its body growing and changing in appearance. The light receded after a minute, revealing Togetic's new form. It was now lacking its stubby arms, but it had longer, triangular wings and was much bigger than it was before. It looked up at its Trainer and chirped happily.

Kotone gave it a hug and said, "You really want to help, huh? Thank you, Togekiss." She then stood up and faced Gold, saying, "Well, I think we can all go now. Don't you?"

Gold nodded, "Sure." He turned to Professor Elm and said, "We're gonna get going now, Professor. We'll stay in contact, okay?" Professor Elm nodded and both Gold and Kotone left with Jessie, James, and Meowth in tow. Outside the lab, Gold called out Pidgeot and Pikachu, while Kotone called out her Kirlia as well. Gold, Pikachu, Jessie, and James climbed on Pidgeot's back while Kotone, Kirlia, and Meowth climbed on Togekiss. The two Pokémon took off and headed northwest once everyone was settled.

During the flight, Meowth raised the question, "So, uh, lovebirds, what happened to the little brat?"

Gold glanced over at him and, blushing, yelled, "Lovebirds? What's that supposed to mean?"

Kotone, although she was blushing as well, said to Meowth, "We don't know. We got separated before the city was attacked. This Faust guy was after Hareta, but he couldn't get him and Hareta took off, just like we said."

James asked, "So there's no telling where he could be now?"

Gold replied, "You got it. His Pokémon are worried about him, just like we are, but since we don't have any leads on where he could've gone, we might as well see what the Kimono Girls want to see us about."

Jessie growled, "Those stuck-up sisters! How dare they insult my dancing! You kids are on your own when you go to see them because I refuse to see anyone who mocks my dancing finesse!"

Kotone shrugged, "Yeah? Well, if you say so."

Gold sarcastically added, "Yeah, it's gonna be tough to go see them without any extra help, but I suppose we'll manage somehow."

They soon arrived in Ecruteak City, landing in front of the Pokémon Center. Both Gold and Kotone returned Pidgeot and Togekiss to their Poké Balls, letting them rest and thanking them for their help. They then quickly hurried towards the Dance Theater with Jessie, James, and Meowth following behind. The streets were really dark, even with the lanterns lit along the sides of the road, but they managed to find their way to the Dance Theater with little trouble, despite the nagging feeling that something bad could happen any minute.

Gold, Pikachu, Kotone, and Kirlia entered the theater while the trio stayed out in front. The inside of the theater was brightly lit, as it could be seen from the outside with the light going out through the front door. Both Trainers made their way across the floor to the stage, climbing up the steps to find the Kimono Girls all together, waiting for them. The girl in the middle stepped towards them, saying, "Welcome. My name is Zuki. I previously met Kotone in Violet City and saw you while you were there, Gold."

Kotone said, "Yeah, I remember meeting you. You told me that the egg I had was very important and to take good care of it. I'm glad I did."

Gold spoke, "I guess I was so caught up in the first Gym that I didn't notice you. Sorry about that..."

Zuki replied, "It is all right. But I am sure you want to know why we wanted to see you. In the past, there was a group that formed here in Ecruteak City when darkness began to overtake the world. That group came to be known as the Pokémon League. They were eventually able to defeat the darkness and banish it away, but it was said by one of the founding members that it would return one day. This is what was written in an ancient prophecy that was mostly illegible, but there is more to it."

Gold asked, "How do you know all of this?"

Zuki answered, "This prophecy was one that was handed down between the people of Johto and Sinnoh when they came together and built a great temple far to the north."

Kotone asked, "A temple? Are you talking about the Sinjoh Ruins that we've heard about?"

Zuki nodded, "Yes. The harsh conditions that surround the Sinjoh Ruins likely weathered away the writing of the prophecy, but over the years, experts have managed to decode the rest of the prophecy."

Naoko took over, "When it was first discovered, the prophecy spoke of one who would be the champion against the darkness. The champion therein is the one who quelled the fighting between the deities of Time and Space and befriended a being that lives in a world on the opposite side of this one."

Miki spoke, "Through the work done by the aforementioned experts, the rest of the prophecy was soon revealed. To unlock the full potential of the champion, it would require the aid of the Pokémon whose lives were restored by the legendary Ho-Oh, the Pokémon that most humans cannot see while they sleep."

Sayo continued, "The ones who would awaken them from their sleep are said to be the ones who will help awaken the chosen one's true power, to infuse the champion with the power of the gods in order to defeat the darkness."

Kuni finished, "The only other thing that the prophecy states is that the Pokémon will know how to unlock the chosen one's potential. Do you understand now?"

Gold said, "The Pokémon that were revived by Ho-Oh... You mean Suicune, Entei, and Raikou?"

Miki nodded, "Indeed. I have heard from Morty that both of you, along with Hareta, saw them beneath the Burned Tower. Perhaps you are the ones who the Legendary Pokémon are to guide."

Zuki spoke, "But just encountering them is not proof enough that you are the ones. To prove it, you both would have to face the tests along with Hareta, though with him missing, there's no way to prove that you three are the ones."

Kotone piped up, "Hareta can't be one of the three. I'm sure he's the champion that the prophecy mentions. He's told us about his encounters with the Lake Guardians, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. If anyone matches the champion's profile, it must be him!"

Zuki gasped, "Really? But then who could be the third Trainer that the Pokémon seek?"

A familiar voice spoke from the door, "I'd like a chance to prove that I can fill that spot." Everyone turned towards the door to see Silver standing in the doorway. He looked a bit hurt, just like Gold and Kotone, but otherwise he seemed fine, though Gold could almost tell that something was a little different about him. The red-haired boy came over to the stage, climbing up the steps and saying, "I can tell that darkness is among us. I saw a large, silver-winged Pokémon earlier and came here in the hopes I could find out what's going on. If there is something happening that will require the aid and cooperation of certain Trainers, I would like to lend my Pokémon and myself to the cause."

Gold looked at him in surprise, asking, "Silver?"

The boy turned his head to look at Gold and said, "Think what you want, Gold. I don't look out just for myself, you know." He then turned away, not noticing Gold flash him a smile.

Zuki nodded, "Very well then. You may take the trial as well. You three will have to battle all five of us at the same time. Are you all ready?"

**Meanwhile, in the Sinnoh region, near Celestic Town**

Mitsumi, Jun, and Koya were facing a tough battle along the normally foggy section of Route 210. Jun's Torterra, Mitsumi's Infernape, and Koya's Mamoswine were battling against a group of Darklings that were planning to attack Celestic Town. Although all three Pokémon were very well-trained, the swarm of Darklings seemed endless, as whenever one was destroyed, three more rose out of nowhere to take its place, and the endless swarm was beginning to take its toll on the Pokémon.

"Torterra, use Leaf Storm!" Jun called. The Continent Pokémon let out a yell as the leaves on the tree on its back began to glow green, releasing a cyclone of wind and glowing green leaves at the Darklings. It pushed through the center of the creatures, temporarily creating a hole in their defenses.

Seeing a chance, Koya yelled, "Mamoswine, AncientPower!" At his call, Mamoswine's body began to glow white for a moment before the white became compressed into a silver-colored ball at the end of its tusks. It then fired it straight ahead, the ball exploding upon impact and destroying a group of Darklings.

Mitsumi called, "Infernape, use Flare Blitz!" Infernape shrouded itself with a white-blue fire and plowed into the remaining Darklings with its arms held above its head as it shot towards them. Although it took some damage from the recoil, the attack did the trick as the rest of the Darklings were destroyed. And after a minute, it seemed like there would be no more reinforcements.

Once they were sure that there were no more coming, they all headed for the Pokémon Center, as all of their Pokémon were hurt to some degree, not just Torterra, Infernape, and Mamoswine. As they waited around the front desk, Jun thought he noticed someone familiar nearby. After turning to look, he called, "Hey, Cynthia!"

Both Mitsumi and Koya turned to look at his call while the blonde champion turned towards the group. She smiled upon seeing a few familiar faces and came over, saying, "Jun! Mitsumi! Koya! It's so good to see all of you. I'm glad I could run into a few familiar faces during this crisis."

Mitsumi asked, "Crisis? So this really is happening all over the Sinnoh region."

Cynthia replied, "It's not just the Sinnoh region. It seems to be happening everywhere. The Pokémon Rangers of the Fiore, Almia, and Oblivia regions are being overwhelmed by never-ending requests, and there are strange creatures appearing in most of the other regions."

Jun said, "We just encountered a bunch of weird creatures outside of Celestic Town! It almost seemed like they were gonna destroy the town if we didn't stop them!"

Cynthia gasped, "So you've seen them too... But I still don't understand what they're after. Why they're causing all this destruction."

Suddenly, Koya's wristwatch began beeping. He pulled his right sleeve back and clicked a button on it, causing the beeping to stop. He then spoke, "Koya here. What's going on?"

The voice of Looker came through the watch, "Koya, we're receiving reports that there's a situation developing in Jubilife City. If you're able to, meet me there and we'll investigate."

Koya replied, "Affirmative. Once my Pokémon are healed, I'll meet you there." He clicked the button again and let his sleeve slide back down.

Cynthia asked, "Jubilife City? That's where Lucian said to meet up with him and the rest of the Elite Four. I don't suppose you'd mind having a little back-up, Koya?"

Koya, after thinking about the raid that took place at Neo Team Galactic's HQ a year ago, replied, "It's not necessary, but I suppose it couldn't hurt either."

Cynthia smiled, "Good! Then once all of our Pokémon are healed, we'll all go investigate together."

Mitsumi spoke, "Oh, we're going too?"

Cynthia turned to her, "Well, you do want to help, right Mitsumi?"

She replied, "Well, of course I do. It's just, with everything that's been happening, I'm feeling a little nervous for some reason."

Jun grinned at her, "Don't worry, Mitsumi! Everything will be fine. You'll see."

**Back in Ecruteak City, at the Dance Theater**

Kuni's Vaporeon collapsed to the ground, laying alongside Zuki's Umbreon, Naoko's Espeon, Miki's Flareon, and Sayo's Jolteon. Although the Kimono Girls were defeated, they did not appear surprised as they looked at Elekid, Eevee, and Sneasel, who were standing in front of their respective Trainers. Zuki stepped forward, "So it is done. You three have proven your worth. I believe each of you are the ones that the prophecy speaks of."

Suddenly, the Dance Theater rumbled for a moment before it settled down. Silver was the first to speak, "That wasn't an earthquake. What was it?"

Suddenly, a little girl ran up on the stage and over to Zuki, saying, "Big sisters! I just saw the big shadow of a Pokémon over the Bell Tower! And I also saw three blurs heading in that direction! It could be..."

At that, everyone ran outside and looked in the direction of the Bell Tower. Even with the clouds making it hard to see, they could very distinctly see a large bird with rainbow wings perched atop the tower. Zuki said, "Gold! Silver! Kotone! Hurry to the Bell Tower! Take this Clear Bell with you! The Sages will let you pass if they see this bell!" Kotone took the bell and ran in the direction of the tower, followed closely by Gold and Silver with Jessie, James, and Meowth trying to stay close behind them.

Upon seeing the Clear Bell, the Sages at the entrance to the path leading to the Bell Tower let them go past, allowing Jessie, James, and Meowth to pass as well when Gold stood up for them. They hurried along the path with their Pokémon at their side, ignoring the crunching coming from the leaves littering the path. As they entered the tower, they all came to a halt.

Standing directly in front of them, from left to right where they were standing, were Raikou, Suicune, and Entei.

* * *

Well, how about that? First chapter for this story to only mention Hareta. Don't worry, we'll see what he's up to next chapter.

The big battle is coming up real soon, so things might get a bit intense for the next three or so chapters. Hope you'll keep watch for them!


	43. The Coming of Chaos

**The Johto region, somewhere north of Mahogany Town**

Far to the north of the Lake of Rage, at the base of a pair of small mountains, the grass and trees were covered in a fairly light snow covering, the white contrasting against the dark clouds covering the sky. Although darkness prevailed over the area, there was still a familiar, calm silence hanging around the area that often implied that it was liable to become dangerous. The silence was suddenly broken by numerous footfalls, tracks being imprinted into the snow.

The ones who made the tracks were Suicune, Entei, and Raikou, as well as Hareta's Lucario and Luxray. Gold and Jessie were riding on Raikou's back, Silver and James were on Entei's back, and Kotone and Meowth were seated on Suicune's back. Flying above them were Gold's Pidgeot, Kotone's Togekiss, and Hareta's Misdreavus. Hareta's Minun and Quilava were riding on Togekiss' back while Gold's Elekid, Pikachu, and Pichu were riding on Pidgeot's back, helping to create light from above so the legendary beasts could see where they were going, while both Lucario and Luxray were helping out as well.

"It's really starting to get cold! Where are we going, anyway?" Meowth shouted.

"Just relax, Meowth! Suicune, Entei, and Raikou said that this little trip is going to determine whether we'll be forced to live in darkness forever or not, and I'm inclined to believe them! Just have a little faith, okay?" Kotone called down to the Scratch Cat Pokémon.

Suddenly, they all heard Suicune's voice in their heads, "_Do not worry. At our present speed, we will be reaching our destination soon. Once we are there, it will not take long to locate the objects we are looking for._"

James, in an effort to keep spirits high, spoke, "My, we certainly are moving fast. Even if it wasn't this dark, it would be really hard to see anything at all."

Silver nodded, "From the look and sound of things, I'm willing to bet that we don't have much time and we're moving quickly to keep a disaster that will affect the whole world from happening."

Entei's deep voiced was heard in their heads, "_That is correct, Silver. If we are not swift, the prophecy will fail and darkness will rule. That is why we must move quickly and stay alive._"

Jessie sighed, "I'm not entirely sure what we'll find this far out in the middle of nowhere, but as long as we're out here, I won't complain."

Soon, Raikou, Suicune, Entei, Lucario, and Luxray slowed down as a large mountain range came into view. The slopes were covered in snow and ice, making any sort of climb up the side a perilous endeavor. Looking up at it, Jessie asked, "Is there a way to make it so we're not slipping and sliding every step of the way?"

Kotone spoke, "There might be if Entei and Quilava worked together. But that would take time, something we don't have a lot of right now."

Gold asked, "Where do we have to go? The other side of this mountain range or somewhere on the mountain itself?"

Raikou spoke in their heads, "_It is on this side of the range. If we can get to the top, it will be easy for us to find it. There are not many passages within this mountain, so the fastest way to get to the top would be to find a way to go through it._"

Gold looked at Hareta's bag, thinking for a moment before reaching inside it and pulling out a Poké Ball. He then threw it, the ball opening to reveal Hareta's Onix. After it had gotten an idea of its surroundings, Gold spoke, "Onix, we need to get to the top of this mountain, but there aren't a lot of caves that would get us to the top in a timely fashion. Do you think you can help us find another way to get near the top?" The Rock Snake gave a growl of agreement and then began to use Dig on the side of the mountain, creating a new tunnel through the range. Raikou leapt in after it, followed by Entei, Suicune, Lucario, and Luxray.

**Meanwhile, on Route 32**

SLASH! The sound of a blade slicing through the air rang out, one of Faust's Darklings falling backwards as it was split in two at the waist, both halves disappearing as they hit the ground. Standing over where it fell was Hareta, holding Tsumugari as though he had made a wide sweep with the blade. After looking down at where the Darkling had been a moment ago, the boy relaxed his stance, letting his arms hang at his sides, the blue blade pointing towards the ground.

Standing behind him was Ninetales in her human guise, holding her Nine Strike in a similar way, and behind her was Sneasel. She turned her attention to Hareta and said, "Nice job dealing with that surprise attack, Hareta."

Hareta turned to face her and gave her a smile, saying, "Thanks, Ammy. I mean, Ninetales." Noticing that she made her Nine Strike disappear suddenly, he asked, "Where do you keep your sword when you're not using it?"

Ninetales replied, "Hyperspace inventory. Kind of like a magic satchel, except I use my tails to store items, especially items that are too large to be stored inside of a box or bag."

Sneasel said, "(Wow, that's amazing! Do you think you could teach daddy or me how to do that?)"

Ninetales scratched her chin as she replied, "I'm not sure if I could teach either of you. One needs to either be affluent in magic or have a certain type of power to store items within a space."

Hareta sheathed Tsumugari as he said, "Well, aside from what you have, Ninetales, we're not carrying a lot of items on us right now. So it's not such a big deal now."

Ninetales turned her gaze south, saying, "We'll talk more once we find a safe place to stop for a while. Standing out here in the open will make us more open to attack." Both Hareta and Sneasel nodded, Sneasel jumping into Hareta's arms after he pulled his cloak's hood up. They then continued their way south, passing under the Magnet Train's tracks as they walked.

The trio eventually came within sight of the Pokémon Center on the route, though they noticed that there were very few lights on. Still, it did not appear to be completely devoid of life and wasn't showing signs that it had been attacked. As they approached it, however, Sneasel began to smell something. "(Is that... smoke?)" she asked.

Ninetales sniffed the air a bit before saying, "I smell it too. It smells like it's coming from the west..."

Hareta looked in the direction of the Union Cave, thinking, "_The west...? That's in the direction of Azalea Town. But does that mean... The town is on fire?_" Hareta's eyes widened at that thought, saying, "We've gotta go check it out!"

Ninetales nodded, "I agree. But don't forget that we must keep searching, Hareta. Once we've investigated, we must keep moving."

Hareta looked down as he said, "Hang on... When I focus my Aura, something doesn't feel right about that area... Something else must be happening..."

Ninetales closed her eyes and concentrated a moment, and sure enough, she felt the unpleasant sensation as well. "Lead the way, Hareta! We must hurry!" she exclaimed. Hareta nodded and ran towards the entrance of the Union Cave, followed by Ninetales.

After managing to find the exit to Route 33, they came out to find that the normally constant rainfall that could be found on the route had stopped. Looking to the west, they saw that the smoke was indeed coming from Azalea Town and they ran in that direction, passing the Slowpoke Well. Upon entering the town, they found that many of the buildings were on fire, as well as some of the trees surrounding the town. As they looked at all of the people and Pokémon scrambling around frantically, Hareta noticed someone familiar amidst the panic.

"Quickly! Get some sand and water to throw on that fire! We need to try and contain the damage as much as possible!" shouted Bugsy, taking command of the desperate situation. Suddenly, he heard someone call his name and turned to see a familiar boy running towards him. "Hareta?" he exclaimed, running over to meet with him. Once they were close enough, he asked, "What are you doing here? Where are Gold and Kotone?"

Hareta answered, "We got separated when Blackthorn City was attacked. We came when we smelled the smoke coming from the town. What happened?"

Bugsy sighed, "It's really crazy! These creepy creatures suddenly showed up and started ravaging the town! We fought them as best we could, but they barely even noticed us! They finally left us alone, but not before they set the town on fire a short while ago!"

Ninetales spoke, "So we see. We came to help deal with the fire if we could. I don't suppose you'd mind our help?"

Bugsy shook his head, "Not at all! We could definitely use some extra help in containing the damage and moving everyone to the Gym. Since the Pokémon Center was attacked, my Gym is the safest place in town." Everyone nodded and followed Bugsy into the situation to lend their aid.

**Meanwhile, the Sinnoh region, Jubilife City**

Mitsumi, Jun, Koya, and Cynthia arrived at the eastern entrance to the city, noting that the largest city in the Sinnoh region was deathly silent. As they walked towards the center near the TV station, it felt like they were walking through the streets of a city that had suffered a terrible internal disaster, as not even the street lights were on.

They soon reached the TV station area and found Cynthia's fellow Elites waiting for them, along with Looker. After some explanations had been made, Cynthia asked, "What brought about the decision to meet here, Lucian? Jubilife City does not seem like the place most Trainers would meet up at during a crisis like this."

Lucian nodded, "I agree. However, we were contacted by someone from a group that claimed they had been monitoring the strange occurrences that have been happening and offered us their aid, as most of the Gym Leaders are unavailable now. Their contact said they would meet us here."

Looker spoke, "I heard about this meeting and chose to provide whatever help I can. I thought you would be interested in whatever this mystery group would be able to tell us as well, Koya."

Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke, "I hope we didn't keep you waiting." Everyone turned in the direction of the voice and were shocked at what they saw. Standing a short distance away was Cyrus, as well as Saturn, Jupiter, Mars (who was carrying a laptop), and B-2. Mitsumi felt a chill go through her as she once again looked at the blue haired man that had raised her into a fighting machine, remembering all the Trainers she had crushed and every order that Cyrus had given her.

Before anyone in the group could voice what they were thinking, Cyrus spoke, "There is no need for hostility. Today, we must put aside our past differences if we are to put a stop to the crumbling time and space of our world."

Jun asked, "What are you talking about? Is what's happening now thanks to what happened at the Spear Pillar, when you tried to take control of Dialga?"

Jupiter took a step forward, "Watch your mouth, brat! Team Galactic may have disbanded, but that still doesn't give you the right to talk to Cyrus that way!" She would've continued, but Cyrus held up a hand, as if to tell her to drop the argument.

The man then continued, "I can understand why you would think that. However, that is not so. Although there may have been damage caused by the battle between Dialga and Palkia, it is not related to what we are seeing now. If it were, the effects would likely have occurred at a steadily increasing pace. What we're seeing has affected the whole world in a matter of days."

Saturn spoke, "Our research has concluded that there is something very powerful at work, something no known Pokémon is capable of. Time is beginning to slow down in areas all across the globe; in some cases, time has come to a complete halt. Nothing like this has been observed since the battle at the Spear Pillar or what happened at Sendoff Spring. This is all recent."

Cynthia asked, "So what can be done to resolve this situation? If time is stopping, surely there is a reason for it."

Mars nodded, "That's right, and we think we've figured out where the source is." She opened her laptop, then continued, "According to the readings, there has been a massive buildup of energy in the Johto region, specifically in the far south area. Something is happening there, and it's likely to have a connection."

A dark voice suddenly spoke, "Unfortunately for you, you'll never learn what the connection is." Everyone looked around, as the voice seemed to have come from all around them. In the deep darkness surrounding them, many eyes were looking at them, glowing brightly with malicious intent...

**Meanwhile, the extreme north of the Johto region**

Hareta's Onix emerged from a rocky wall, followed by Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Luxray, and Lucario. Onix's digging had given the beasts a clear shot to an area near the top of the mountain range, all of them standing on one of the higher ledges. Gold thanked Onix for its help and recalled it, putting its Poké Ball back in Hareta's backpack.

Looking towards the ground, Entei gave a growl to alert everyone before jumping off the ledge into the snow below, Suicune, Raikou, Lucario, and Luxray following. After everyone had adjusted to the sudden action, Entei led them around a corner, where, after a little walking, they found the remains of an old temple. As they looked up at it and the Pokémon in the air descended, Entei spoke in their heads, "_This is our destination. The Sinjoh Ruins._"

Kotone asked, "The Sinjoh Ruins?"

Suicune nodded, "_Yes. Hundreds of years ago, this temple was built by a group of humans from the Sinnoh region and a group of humans from here in the Johto region. It symbolizes the coming together of both of their cultures and the underlying relationship between the Unown and Arceus._"

Gold asked, "Arceus? Is that a Pokémon?"

Raikou spoke, "_Indeed. You will know more about Arceus in time. For now, we must go inside._" Suicune, Entei, and Raikou bent down, allowing Gold, Jessie, Silver, James, Kotone, and Meowth to get off of their backs. After recalling all of the Pokémon that were out, the five humans and Meowth walked inside the ruins, followed by the Legendary Beasts.

Inside, the temple was dark and cold, though several cracks in the ceiling let in a little light, as well as some snow. Three pairs of Rhydon statues were placed in a row, as if marking a straight path to the triangle-shaped stage near the far end of the room. As they approached the stage, three shafts of light began to rise out of the three angles. The light shaft on the right was pinkish-purple, the shaft on the left was a light blue, and the shaft at the top angle was red. As they looked at the light shafts, a jewel-like object rose to the top of each, each jewel having a different appearance...

**Meanwhile, in Azalea Town**

Faust appeared near the gatehouse leading into Ilex Forest. Having found what he was looking for and sensing Hareta was nearby, he teleported himself to see if the human had changed his mind and would agree to join him. He looked around, seeing that most of the smaller fires had been put out by now, though some of the stronger fires were still burning. However, the town appeared to be deserted.

Closing his eyes, Faust looked around the town with his black Aura and quickly detected that all the humans and Pokémon had been moved to the local Gym, all of their Aura signatures mixing together. He smirked to himself, "How pathetic. Just like when I assassinated the former king." Deciding to take his time and enjoy this, he made his way to the front of the Gym, seeing that the regular sliding doors were sealed behind a set of blast doors. He held his left hand up to the door, using his Aura to force the doors to open. They wouldn't open easily, so Faust held up both hands, the doors beginning to slide, creating an opening.

Suddenly, an Aura Sphere came flying out of the opening, exploding in Faust's chest and sending him flying back into a rock! He hit it really hard, breaking right through it before landing on the ground. As he recovered from the attack, Hareta stepped out from the opening between the blast doors, holding Tsumugari in his right hand. As he walked towards Faust, he held his left arm up, suddenly jerking it above his head, causing the blast doors to slam shut behind him.

Faust sat up as Hareta began to approach him, saying, "Not bad, Hareta. That was a rather powerful attack for a human so young."

Hareta replied, "You'll find I'm full of surprises, Faust. I'm nothing like the last time we fought."

Faust sneered, "So I see. All the more fitting to be my servant."

Hareta growled, "Servant? Did you hit that rock too hard? You're out of your mind if you think I'd serve you!"

Faust replied, "Powerful words, boy. A pity there is no strength in words. I am offering you salvation, the chance to become more powerful than you could ever dream of becoming under any Aura Guardian. Or are you saying that you would rather die trying to stop me?"

Stopping a short distance from Faust, Hareta answered, "I won't run from my destiny..." He then clenched his left hand into a fist, a small blue flame enveloping it, "...or from you."

* * *

Just a little something before I go. A recent review has made it clear that I forgot to mention a few things in my disclaimer, so I'm going to post them here. If you're not interested, don't worry about this.

I do not own any of the characters that appear in the game, nor do I own the characters Hareta, Mitsumi, Jun, Koya, or Kaisei. These are all characters created by Shigekatsu Ihara, the writer and author of the manga "Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure!" This fic takes place after the events of the 8 volume manga, which showed Hareta's journey through the Sinnoh region. Except for Hareta's Quilava, Grovyle, Scyther, and Sneasel, I don't own any of Hareta's Pokémon.

The only characters that appear in this story that I thought up are Enta Dia, Lyra Dia, Hiori Dia, Jade, Dr. Kiyoshi Masao, and Faust. I also came up with the personalities for Gold, Kotone, Silver, Minami, and Natsuya, as well as my version of PMD's Ninetales.

As for chronology, this story takes place before my first fanfic. Part of the reason I chose to write the prequel before writing the sequel is because I wanted to explain some of the things readers of my first fic might have questions about. This story, plus another that will take place immediately after the end of this one, will lead up to the events of that fic.

I hope this clears up any confusion some of you may have had and I'm sorry for not addressing this at the beginning. I just didn't want to put spoilers for my first story at the beginning of this one.

Okay, I'll see you all later! And just a word of warning, the next chapter might contain some mature content.


	44. Doomsday

WARNING! This chapter, especially the end of it, depicts serious injuries and blood. This happened because I asked some people how they wanted to see the battle in this chapter and they told me uncensored. Blood appearing in this chapter happened as a result. This will likely be the only chapter to feature content like this, but please keep this in mind while reading.

* * *

**Northern area of the Johto region**

Raikou, Suicune, and Entei were rushing across the white-covered ground, each of them going as fast as they could. They were carrying the same passengers as before, each of the young Trainers clutching tightly to something as they did their best to hang on. Gold was carrying a smooth, round jewel that resembled a large pearl, Silver was hanging onto an orb that was similar in appearance to Gold's except that it had hexagon-shaped indents on it, and Kotone was holding a yellowish jewel that looked like two pyramids attached to each other by their bases.

"I understand we're in a hurry here, but could someone please explain to me what these jewels we found are going to do?" Jessie yelled as she tried to hold onto both Gold and Raikou.

"I don't know what they're going to be used for, but I do know that these orbs are to be held by Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. The Adamant Orb makes Dialga's attacks stronger, while the Lustrous Orb does the same for Palkia's attacks. I'm not sure what the Griseous Orb does to Giratina though," Kotone called over to Jessie.

"_The Griseous Orb allows Giratina to stay in its Origin Forme when outside the Distortion World. Without the orb, it usually changes into its Altered Forme due to the changes in gravity. But this time, the orbs will be used by someone other than their respective holders,_" Entei explained to everyone.

"Huh? But who could use the orbs other than the ones who are affected by them? I thought they couldn't be used by anyone other than their respective deities," James wondered.

"_You will see soon enough. Even as far as we are now, I can already feel that Faust's plans are coming very close to being realized,_" Raikou answered. It then turned to look at Suicune and asked, "_Suicune, are you certain you can sense both of them?_"

The Aurora Pokémon nodded, "_I'm positive. I could never forget a presence like Faust's if I tried. And I've come to know Hareta's Aura signature thanks to the times that we encountered each other before all this began. We may be far away now, but I know where both of them are..._"

**Meanwhile, the Sinnoh region, Jubilife City**

The many glowing eyes surrounding Mitsumi and the others revealed themselves to be Faust's Darklings... lots of them! There were so many that it almost looked like there was a wall of black and glowing, multicolored neon. One of them spoke, though the way it sounded made it seem like they were all talking, "This is the end for you, humans. You've interfered with Lord Faust's takeover for too long; all who interfere are to be brought to justice. You will not see the great world that our master is so close to realizing!"

Jun grunted, "Really? There have been others in the past who claimed that they were unstoppable too, only to be brought down. I bet your so-called 'lord' is about to fall too!"

The voice of the Darklings spoke, "A human has indeed stepped up to challenge our lord on his own, but no Trainer or Aura Guardian is a match for our lord. And we will show you... just a fraction of the power that our Lord of Darkness possesses!"

Koya spoke, "You may have us outnumbered, but we've been outnumbered in the past and still won in the end! If you intend to do harm to this world, then this same fate awaits all of you and your master!" With that, he sent out both his Absol and Metagross, everyone else releasing several of their Pokémon as well. The Pokémon and their Trainers glared at the Darklings, making their defiance known to the monsters. The Darklings answered their glares, several groups rushing out to attack as the Pokémon and their Trainers prepared for battle.

**Meanwhile, the Johto region, Azalea Town**

"A bold effort boy, but it is futile," Faust mocked Hareta as he pulled his Blood Sword out from under his cloak. Taking it in both hands, he ran towards Hareta as the boy did the same. Their blades collided, both straining to push against each other. Despite Hareta putting in all of his strength, Faust managed to overpower him, pushing Tsumugari back and suddenly swinging his arm in an uppercut, connecting with Hareta's lower jaw. The hit knocked him into the air, and Faust leapt up after him, grabbing onto the bottom of his cloak and swinging him around once before letting go, sending Hareta flopping across the ground.

Hareta quickly got up off the ground, looking to see Faust running towards him again. As he got close enough to swing his sword, Hareta bent down and suddenly did a back flip, somersaulting once in midair. As he righted himself at the peak of his jump, he suddenly threw Tsumugari at Faust like a boomerang, the blade slashing across Faust's chest before going back to Hareta, who slid back on the ground a bit after landing. Faust came at him again, but went too far, leaving his back open to an attack as Hareta slashed him across the back twice.

Growling, Faust dashed away from another slash before attempting to attack Hareta again. The first two strikes he made hit Tsumugari, not getting past Hareta's defense, but on the third strike, he channeled some of his Aura into the Blood Sword, causing the Aura to spread onto Hareta when he tried to attack him next. The Aura spread out around Hareta, hurting him and causing him to drop his defenses, allowing Faust to blast him point-blank with an Aura Sphere. Hareta was sent flying by this, sliding across the ground. As the black Aura stopped pounding away at him, Hareta noticed Faust was standing over him and rolled to the side as he did a downwards thrust with his Blood Sword, striking the ground where Hareta had been laying a second ago. He didn't get Hareta, although he did catch Hareta's cloak with his sword, causing it to rip in two.

Standing up, Hareta used his free arm to take off the remainder of the cloak and threw it at Faust. It took less than a second for Faust to slice the cloak up into ribbons, but he did seem to get distracted by the seemingly useless move. Hareta quickly dashed towards him, hoping to take advantage of the distraction, but Faust was quick to block his blade. They pushed against each other for a second before Hareta leapt backwards while Faust stepped back several steps. He then attempted to blast Hareta with a wave of Aura, but the boy plunged Tsumugari into the ground and held his arms in front of his chest in a crossed position. This caused a blue barrier to be projected in front of Hareta, which kept the wave from hitting Hareta. Faust soon stopped, as Hareta was holding his ground, hardly being pushed by the wave.

Hareta dropped the barrier and brought both hands close together, an Aura Sphere beginning to form between them. Faust ran towards him, as the attack was taking a moment to charge up, hoping to reach him before the attack was ready. The attack was ready before Faust could reach him, though, and Hareta threw it at Faust, the demon creating a small Aura Sphere in the palm of his free hand and throwing it at Hareta's, both spheres canceling each other out. Hareta quickly grabbed Tsumugari and brought it in front of him in a guard, as Faust was once again upon him, trying to stab him.

Hareta moved back as Faust continued to slash and stab at him, eventually jumping up and trying to bring Tsumugari down on top of him. Faust dodged it before kicking Hareta in the side of the face, causing him to stand up again, and then slashing across the same side of his face with his free hand, digging into the flesh and leaving a row of slashes along his cheek. Hareta quickly leapt back before Faust could strike him with his Blood Sword, then glared at the demon, whose fingers were glistening with fresh blood. Ignoring the stinging in his cheek, Hareta said, "This ends now."

He quickly dashed towards Faust, striking his Blood Sword with a pair of horizontal strikes but missing Faust with the third strike. Tightening both of his hands on Tsumugari's hilt, he first swung at Faust with a vertical slice, which the demon stepped back from; he then quickly followed up with a horizontal strike that would've gone along his chest had he not ducked. As he tried to attack again, Faust grabbed Tsumugari's hilt in mid-swing and pushed it back into Hareta's face, knocking him back. After feeling his face for a second, Hareta looked up at Faust again, only to have his right leg yanked out from under him when Faust focused his Aura into his left hand, pulling him closer. Grabbing the boy's shoe, he dragged him across the ground in a half-circle before suddenly throwing him! Hareta spun briefly in midair before he slammed face-first into a building! He groaned in pain at the sudden stop, letting go of Tsumugari before he fell to the ground, landing on his back with the sword a few feet away.

Hareta managed to sit up partway, noticing he had slammed into the Pokémon Center, before suddenly jerking his head up. He was suddenly pushed back down onto the ground, as Faust, who had ran towards him and jumped once he was close enough, landed on top of him. Hareta began to gag, due to Faust having a knee on his windpipe, and noticed that the Blood Sword was angled down towards his face! As he held the sword, Faust spoke, "Now I will destroy you, Hareta... as I had your friends destroyed."

Rage flooded across Hareta's face as he focused his Aura into his right hand, causing Tsumugari to move towards him. Once he had its hilt in his hand, he took a swing at the Blood Sword, which forced Faust to roll off of him. Hareta quickly rolled over and got back up on his feet, holding Tsumugari in both hands.

As he looked at Faust, Hareta could feel all the thoughts rushing around inside his head. Some were telling him to calm down, others were telling him to make this monster suffer. After a minute of thought, he made his decision, placing Tsumugari on his back and hunching over, bringing his arms in front of his chest. After a moment, he brought them back out as a blue flame began to surround him. He then opened his eyes, revealing them to be glowing a light blue color, and took Tsumugari off his back, saying, in an unsettlingly calm tone, "Now you've pushed your luck."

He then dashed towards Faust, who held up his sword in defense as Hareta began to slash at him. The Blood Sword protected him from the three strikes, but then Hareta leapt up and came down in a downwards thrust, channeling some of his Aura into Tsumugari. When it came into contact with the ground, the Aura was released, which sent Faust flying back a bit. Standing up, Faust held out his free hand and channeled some of his Aura into it, sending a beam of Aura flying towards the boy. Hareta did likewise, however, and both of their Auras came into contact about halfway between each other. They both continued to channel their Aura, attempting to overpower the other, but Hareta soon overpowered Faust's attack, blasting him with the beam of Aura. As he watched the demon go sliding across the ground, Hareta said, in a less unsettling tone, "One way or another, I will stop you."

After Faust stood up, the battle continued, both fighters trading blows and making use of their Aura abilities. With Hareta's Aura unleashed, the battle was more balanced, but even so, Faust clearly refused to be beaten by a boy. Eventually, they locked blades again, pushing against each other. While Hareta was pushing Tsumugari against the Blood Sword, Faust saw an opening and took his right hand off of the Blood Sword, holding it under both blades as his black Aura surrounded it. He then slammed it into Hareta's midsection, catching him completely off-guard and knocking him back several feet. Hareta groaned when he stopped moving, having felt his ribs crack a bit when Faust attacked him. Looking up, he took Tsumugari in both hands again as he saw Faust was about to do something.

Holding his Blood Sword so that it was a little bit in front of him, Faust leapt into the air, turning a full somersault before bringing the sword down against Tsumugari. He came down with such force that Hareta was knocked down onto his side by the attack, Faust taking the chance to kick Hareta in the chest. Hareta was knocked off the ground slightly by the kick, holding Tsumugari to his chest after touching the ground again so he wouldn't accidentally stab himself when he began rolling. After rolling around so he was on his front, Hareta held his sword in his right hand as he jumped to his feet.

Faust then approached him, striking Tsumugari near the tip and then slashing at it several times. Hareta countered each slash and then leapt over the Blood Sword when Faust made a sideways slash at him. After they both turned around, Hareta struck Faust's sword, attempting to get through his defenses, only to have his second strike stopped by it. As they locked blades, Faust suddenly reached over and grabbed Hareta by his head. He then gave a strong push and threw the boy up into the air; while he was airborne, Faust quickly charged up an Aura Sphere and threw it where Hareta was falling. The attack was timed perfectly, as Hareta soon came into contact with it, causing it to explode. The explosion lifted him up a bit more and caused him to lose his grip on Tsumugari, the sword landing on the ground and Hareta landing rather hard nearby.

While Hareta was on the ground, Faust stuck his blade into the ground and began to run towards him with the intention of slicing him in two. Hareta managed to recover before Faust could reach him, grabbing Tsumugari as he rolled onto his back and, shakily, stood up again. As he stood up, Faust brought his blade up and attempted to knock Tsumugari away from him. Hareta kept a firm grip on the blade, though, and attempted to strike him back. Their blades met for a moment before Faust, who was clearly getting annoyed at the boy's resilience, attacked with a flurry of strikes, trying to kill Hareta quickly. Hareta did his best to deflect the strikes for several moments before leaping back and holding his sword up straight, channeling his Aura into it.

Faust ran towards Hareta with his Blood Sword slung over his shoulder, gripping it with both hands as he got close enough to make a slash. As he did, Hareta brought Tsumugari down, the blade now looking like it was surrounded by blue flames, and prepared to swing. They both swung at the same time, their blades meeting and a shearing sound being heard, followed by a dull clank. They both held their poses for a moment before pointing their swords at each other again, but something was wrong with Faust's sword.

Glancing down at it, Faust realized that only about half of the blade was connected to the base! Looking around in shock, he found the rest of the blade laying on the ground where their two blades had crossed. "_Impossible! Enta was rather strong for an Aura Guardian, but even at his strongest, he couldn't slice my blade in two!_" Faust thought. He then looked up at Hareta, a cold sweat running down the side of his face as he realized that this boy was likely an even greater threat than any other Aura user he had seen before, and began to back away as the boy approached him with his sword pointing towards him.

In a desperate attempt to get Hareta to back off, Faust threw a wave of Aura at him, only to have it deflected by a simple wave of Tsumugari, which was followed by a pseudo-slash at Faust's face. Hareta wasn't really going to slash him, just wanted to let him know that he wasn't playing around anymore. It had the desired effect, as Faust fell backwards when he saw the blade come closer, backing up along the ground as Hareta came closer, eventually bumping into a wall that was part of the Charcoal Kiln. As he stopped in front of Faust with his blade angled downward, Hareta spoke, "I don't know what you were after, Faust, but it doesn't matter now. This is the end for you and all of your plans."

Faust looked up at him a minute before getting a sneaky idea and smirked, "Oh, come now, Hareta. Is that really the sort of thing to say to an old friend?" As he was speaking, he was reaching up to his mask, grabbing it as he finished speaking. He then gave it a light tug and let it fall into his lap, revealing his true face.

Hareta looked at his face in shock. Even though the face was very pale and had long, white hair, he could not forget that face. "Dr. Kiyoshi...?" he muttered. Seeing that the boy was distracted, Faust blasted him with a burst of Aura, sending him flying back a ways and making him drop Tsumugari.

Faust quickly stood up and ran over to where Hareta had landed on his back and yanked him off the ground, holding him by the throat while the boy was still recovering from the blast. He gave a triumphant smirk as he began to tighten his grip, saying, "I am the Lord of Darkness, the new ruler of this world and everything that exists on it. I refuse to be brought down by a mere child whose ancestors denied me once already. But as thanks for giving me the toughest battle I have ever fought, I will make your death quick and painless."

Faust was about to start tightening his grip on Hareta's throat when they both heard Ninetales' voice, "Get away from him, you MONSTER!" Almost immediately afterwards, something slammed into Faust's side, causing him to release Hareta, who fell onto his back while breathing heavily, and sending him flopping across the ground. As he was breathing, Hareta was being shaken by Sneasel to get up. After Hareta's breathing was back to normal and Faust stopped flopping, they both looked up from where they had landed to see Ninetales, but she was changed. Her yellow fur had become a silver-gray color and the reddish-orange tail tips were now a bright blue. She was also surrounded by a yellow-orange Aura and had her Nine Strike on her back.

Seeing the glaring fox, Faust smirked, "I was wondering when you were going to show your face, you wench. But then again, you always were known for showing up at the worst times." Ninetales said nothing, refusing to dignify the demon with a response, and began to approach him, her Nine Strike floating above her back slightly. Before she could reach him, Faust stood up and asked, "You think this changes anything?" He then held out a hand and suddenly, a black sphere appeared in front of his palm. Seeing this, Ninetales stopped and her sword floated in front of her, levitating in a defensive manner.

Suddenly, the sphere dissolved into a small, green Pokémon. Hareta gasped upon seeing it; it was Grovyle's old friend, Celebi! The small fairy-like Pokémon seemed to be unconscious, as it was hardly moving as it was dangling from Faust's hand, but otherwise seemed to be okay. Seeing his look, Faust nodded, "That's right. I've found the tool I need to open the Passage of Time. All this time, I was toying with you, giving you one last chance to change your mind, but it's over now. This runt's last purpose is to open the Passage of Time for me!"

Ninetales gasped, "What? What are you trying to do, Faust? What does time travel have to do with your goals?"

Faust chuckled, "I would think the answer is obvious, Ninetales, but I'll tell you anyway. Since Celebi can use time passages to move forward or backwards in time, I believe I'll make use of the passage in the Ilex Forest and rewrite history so there will be no one to stand in my way."

Hareta, having stood up at this point, yelled, "You think that if you change history, everyone's just gonna obey whatever you say? Even in the imperfect world you're talking about, Faust, there are going to be humans and Pokémon that will stand in your way!"

Faust replied, "All the more fun for me. I rather like seeing animals try to stand against me, only to end up in a puddle of their own fluids. And if either of you exist when I'm through, that's exactly the fate you'll meet. I will be the one and only god of this world! Any who would choose to stand against me will meet the same fate!" As his black Aura began to surround him, Faust mockingly called, "Farewell, you pathetic creatures!" Ninetales lunged for him, her sword positioned along her side in a slashing position, but he vanished before she could reach him.

Ninetales growled as her Aura and sword disappeared and her fur faded back to its natural color, "Blast it... I knew he was still out to become a god, but I had no idea what he was planning to do to succeed in his plans this time." She glanced back at Hareta, who had recalled his Aura and now seemed to be lost in thought about something and walked over to him, concerned. As she came up to him, she asked, "What's the matter, Hareta?"

The boy muttered, "I just... it's a shock. I don't think Faust was making that face to fool me. It looked too much like him to be a fake..."

Ninetales sighed, "I understand how you feel. To find out your enemy is someone who is either family or a good friend like Dr. Kiyoshi Masao is not something that's easy to accept." Noticing Hareta looked up at her in surprise when she mentioned the doctor's name, she sighed, "Before you ask, yes, I know that man. You need to recover from your injuries anyway, so I'll tell you how I know him." She picked up Tsumugari with her teeth and handed it to him as they moved over to a spot to sit down.

Hareta, Ninetales, and Sneasel settled down on the ground next to the Charcoal Kiln. While Sneasel was feeling over Hareta's body for any injuries and he was using his Aura to heal his wounds, Ninetales explained, "It wasn't that long ago that Dr. Kiyoshi and I were good friends. I encountered him one day during my travels, finding him in an abandoned human laboratory. Due to a... certain event that had happened prior to that, I was very wary of him at first. I thought he was up to something, considering that some sort of energy source had drawn me to the lab in the first place. But he didn't mind my hostility; he explained what he was doing and that he had somehow ended up in the middle of nowhere during a trip. We became friends soon afterwards, and so did two of my other friends. A Sneasel and a Pikachu, to be exact."

Hareta, while he was applying a hand surrounded by a blue flame to his chest, asked, "A Pikachu? Hang on. Is that the same Pikachu that ended up with Gold?"

Ninetales nodded, "The very same. For the next several months, we would visit Dr. Kiyoshi and bring him stories about the outside world, since... well, let's just say it wouldn't be a good idea if he left the lab. But one day, something terrible happened." Hareta and Sneasel listened intently as she continued, "We were looking in the cold storage area of the lab, which served as a sort of refrigerator for us. While we were looking, Dr. Kiyoshi found a vial containing a black gas. Perplexed by it, he stepped out to investigate when all of a sudden, it began to move! While he tried to keep a grip on it, he tripped on one of the cables on the floor and slammed it against a computer console. Upon shattering, the gas within engulfed him right in front of us. When he stood up, we thought he was okay, but he wasn't. That gas was the essence of Faust, and Dr. Kiyoshi had been consumed by it." She looked at her rear left leg as she said, "That's where this scar comes from. He attacked us when he saw us, though he only managed to get me."

Sneasel gasped, "(That's awful! What did you do?)"

Ninetales replied, "We didn't know what to think, so we got out of there as fast we could since his attack had drawn blood. At first, we thought he had turned on us, but we later found out that he had been possessed by a demon. In the months that followed, the three of us tried to track him down and stop him, but he kept eluding us. He eventually challenged us, but it was a trap. During the fight, it seemed as though he had underestimated us, but we were wrong. After we had dealt what we thought was the finishing blow, he surprised us when he revealed his true form." She shuddered as she recalled that time, "The appearance of his true form is still fresh in my mind... Truly a being not of this world..."

Hareta waited a minute before asking, "So what happened?"

Ninetales answered, "We did our best to fight back, but he was too powerful. Eventually, he got tired of our efforts and decided to torture us. He sent us to a nightmare version of our world where he reigned supreme. It was really quite horrifying. But we managed to defeat him by manipulating his ego. His distraction allowed the leader of my clan time to cast an incantation on him, undoing the damage he had done while sealing him away at the same time. Dr. Kiyoshi disappeared as well, making us all think he had been sealed away as well."

Hareta asked, "So how did he escape? Did Faust somehow briefly resurface?"

Ninetales shook her head, "Not quite. Some time afterwards, we found out that the incantation only succeeded in sending him to another world: this one. The oracle of my clan knew that Dr. Kiyoshi was somewhere in this world, but she didn't know if Faust was still active. When Pikachu heard about this, he said that he would come to this world and track down Faust, promising to come back if it turned out Faust had returned. Everyone eventually agreed and, after giving him something that would detect large buildups of power and an idea of where Dr. Kiyoshi was, we sent him to this world, where he ended up with you and your friends, Hareta."

Sneasel asked, "(If Pikachu was sent to find him, why did you come?)"

Ninetales replied, "We were getting worried when there was no response from or sign of Pikachu. Since Sneasel, now a Weavile, was busy with being in charge of his village, I went ahead and came to this world myself, not waiting for my clan's approval. I came to this world as fast as I could so I could find out the truth for myself. And you know the rest." She looked up at Hareta as she said, "There. I've told you everything I possibly can."

Hareta was silent for a moment, looking down towards the ground while Sneasel looked up at him with a questioning look. He soon spoke, "If you expect me to think of you any differently, Ninetales, I just want you to know that I don't judge based on something that happened in the past. That's not the kind of thing I worry about; what is fretting over the past now going to do? What matters is what's happening now. We can worry about what happened before later." He pushed himself up onto his feet and turned to face her, "He's not just going to change the past, but he's going to kill Celebi too. I think we should go after him, make sure Celebi is safe, and then stop him before he can reach his strongest state again. That's what I think, but I'm not like you. I haven't seen what he's capable of. What do you suggest?"

Ninetales, who was a bit surprised at how Hareta didn't mind the fact that she had been keeping important information from him, hesitated a moment before climbing to her feet and said, "I... I agree with you. If we can defeat Faust before he regains his full strength, it will break the curse he's placed over this world, allowing the light to return. He has already been foiled twice in the past, first by your ancestors and then by my clan, so he's likely going to be anticipating us coming after him. But if we work together, between your powerful Aura and my magic, we should be able to defeat him and maybe save Dr. Kiyoshi!" Both Hareta and Sneasel nodded and, since Hareta had finished healing, all three of them ran towards the entrance to Ilex Forest.

They hurried along the forest path, the forest seeming even darker than usual. Hareta led the way through the forest, retracing the path as best he could in the dark. Soon, they located the shrine at the heart of the forest and found Faust was already moving forward with his plans. The doors at the front of the shrine were open, revealing a light blue pulsing vortex that looked like it was ringed by light blue flames, and Celebi was laying off to the side, unconscious and hurt. Ninetales ran over to Celebi and wrapped her tails around it, channeling some healing magic into the Time Travel Pokémon.

After a moment, Hareta and Sneasel noticed Celebi's eyes twitching. Hareta reached out a hand and ran a finger along the side of Celebi's face, asking, "Celebi, can you hear me?" Celebi's eyes twitched one more time before they opened, prompting a relieved smile from everyone.

Celebi looked at Hareta, who withdrew his hand, and whispered, "(Hareta... Is that you?)"

The boy nodded, "Yeah, it's me. I'm glad you're okay, Celebi. What did that guy do to you?"

Shifting a little bit in Ninetales' tails, Celebi replied, "(He... He somehow caught me in the middle of a time travel... Knocked me out. He then forced me awake and ordered me to open the Passage of Time or be tortured for all eternity. I tried to resist him, but he took control of my body while he was torturing me and forced me to open the passage. He then threw me against the ground and knocked me out before entering the Passage of Time...)" Celebi took a look at the ground it had been thrown against, seeing a small puddle of blood there before losing consciousness again.

Before Hareta could say anything, Ninetales spoke, "I've taken care of all of Celebi's injuries, including that cut it must've gotten from being thrown against the ground. I can't do much for fatigue though, so Celebi's just going to have to rest it off." She lowered Celebi to the ground, gently setting it down on the grass before turning to the Ilex Shrine. "It would appear Faust wants us to come after him, considering he didn't bother to close the passage. This is likely going to be even more dangerous than the previous fight, Hareta. Are you ready?"

Hareta nodded, "Yeah. Let's go get him!" He then turned to Sneasel and said, "Sneasel, I want you to stay here and look after Celebi."

As he stood up to go, Sneasel grabbed him by his pant leg and cried, "(No! I can help you, daddy! I want to help, really! Don't leave me here!)" Her eyes began to water as she spoke the last sentence.

Hareta turned and knelt down, placing his hands on Sneasel's shoulders as he said, "Sneasel, please, just listen to me for a moment." She looked up at him, listening as he continued, "Celebi may have healed, but until it wakes up again, it's going to be unable to protect itself. It needs someone to look after it for now. And I know firsthand how strong you are; you've shown it during this whole fiasco. But there's no telling what Faust may be planning for us, and I couldn't forgive myself if I let him do anything to you."

Sneasel whimpered, "(But... he could really hurt you, daddy...)"

Hareta replied, "I know. And that's why I'm afraid of what he'll do to you if he decides to attack you. Please Sneasel, just wait here. Right now, daddy needs you to be strong and to trust in him. I made a promise that I wouldn't leave you, and I don't intend to go back on it now."

Sneasel looked up at him for a moment before wiping her eyes with an arm and then saying, "(Okay daddy, I'll be a good girl and stay with Celebi. Just... please promise me you'll come back.)"

Hareta nodded, "I promise." He then stood up and turned to Ninetales, who nodded at him and then leapt into the Passage of Time. He made his way over to the shrine, casting one last look at Sneasel before following Ninetales in. The doors to the shrine closed shortly after he entered the passage, Sneasel looking at the shrine for a minute longer before turning her attention to Celebi and walking over to it.

**Inside the Passage of Time**

Faust sighed as he looked around the Passage of Time, feeling that his goal was within reach. There was a bright, blue light shining at the far end of the direction he was facing, the passage surrounded by transparent white lines and opaque yellow lines. Stars surrounded the outside of the passage, but there was no telling what lay beyond the walls of the corridor.

Faust detected a presence behind him and turned to look, finding Hareta and Ninetales standing there. "So, you've finally arrived... This corridor can take anyone to any point in time, but past its walls, there's no telling where it will lead," he spoke.

"What did you mean when you said you would be the only god of this world? Are you planning to do something to Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina?" Hareta asked.

Faust replied, "Aren't you forgetting someone? The one who created them?" Hareta looked surprised at this, having never known that there was a Pokémon above the three deities. Faust explained, "I speak of the Original One, Arceus. Arceus was said to have created this world and possibly the rest of the universe. Even if I take control of this world once again, I will not be the true ruler as long as Arceus exists."

Ninetales spoke, "I thought you said you were going to make sure no one would be able to stand in your way. How do you plan to get rid of Arceus? No one knows how to find it."

Faust answered, "True, but through the research I did during my first rule here and my time in your world, I know how to find it. Arceus resides in the Hall of Origin, a location hidden above the Spear Pillar. Only Arceus itself can bestow an item that allows one to reach it, but I've found another way." He clenched his right hand into a fist as he said, "To protect itself and the Jewel of Life, Arceus hid the Hall of Origin within a pocket of time while its children, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, were sent to a different world, all to prevent the unwashed from attempting to abuse their powers! That will prove to be Arceus' last mistake; through time travel, it is possible to breach the pocket of time it is hiding within and make it visible to all!"

Ninetales demanded, "Do you really think it'll be that easy to reach Arceus? If what you're saying is true, then you would have to travel all the way back to a time before it hid the Hall of Origin to be able to reach it!"

Faust replied, "That's exactly my plan. I'll go as far back as I need to and kill the Alpha Pokémon. By the time I reach that point, my power will be restored; even though it created a whole world, Arceus' power will pale compared to my own!"

Hareta gasped and then grunted, "Don't kid yourself, freak! We're not gonna let that happen and you know it!"

Faust turned to him and spoke, "Freak? You're the unusual one here, Hareta. You were gifted with great power, yet until now, you've remained completely oblivious of it and instead wasted your time respecting and befriending the weak! Think of all those Pokémon you know. Even after you learned of your heritage, you kept them by your side and treated them with nothing but respect and friendship. They never were necessary to you; all they did is slow your own growth."

Hareta glared at him, "It's true. I've been with Pokémon all my life. They always came first for me. But if it were any other way, I would never have made it as far as I have! What would my life be like if I didn't have friends? That kind of life is meaningless to me!"

Faust smirked, "Then why bother fighting now? You've already lost all of your friends and family. You've lost everything that was precious to you."

Hareta's eyes began to glow blue and his Aura surrounded him as he yelled, "Shut up, you jerk! I'm fighting so you won't hurt anyone else!" He drew Tsumugari from its sheath while Ninetales summoned her Nine Strike and summoned all of her power from within, causing her fur to change colors again while her yellow-orange Aura surrounded her.

Faust chuckled, "Fine. It is still a shame to throw away such a powerful force, but I can live with it." His black Aura began to surround him as he said, "Now come! If you actually believe that you can stop me, then I will show you... the greatest nightmare!"

As they prepared themselves, Ninetales whispered to Hareta, "This time, it's only the two of us and him. No need to worry about anyone getting caught in the crossfire, so we'll take him together." Hareta nodded.

Faust crossed his arms across his chest in an X-shape, his hands above his shoulders, and leapt into the air. As he jumped, black orbs began to form around his hands. At the height of his jump, he separated his arms, sweeping them out in front of him and sending the orbs out, each moving in the direction they had been moving. As they separated from his hands, they turned into spinning crescents that flew on a curved angle towards Hareta and Ninetales. Both Hareta and Ninetales went back to back, slashing their respective crescents in two when they were close enough. They then turned to see that Faust was dashing towards them, but didn't have enough time to block as he slammed an elbow into the space between Hareta's chest and stomach, knocking the wind out of him momentarily. Ninetales went to attack him with her sword, only to be blown away by a wave of Aura.

Faust turned his attention back to Hareta, attempting to grab the boy, but Hareta recovered in time and leapt back. Once he landed, he took Tsumugari in a reverse grip and charged it with a small amount of Aura before thrusting it into the 'ground.' This sent the channeled energy in a straight line towards Faust, who jumped above it, easily dodging it but getting caught off guard when a large hand grabbed him around his middle. He looked down to see that Ninetales had brought her tails together to create a large hand and was using her magic to keep him restrained. The fingers clenched around him for a moment before she threw him towards Hareta. The boy was ready, launching a fully-charged Aura Sphere at him, which sent him flying back towards Ninetales, who slashed his back several times before somersaulting and sending him down to the 'ground' with an Iron Tail.

Despite the hard hit, Faust was able to right himself before hitting the 'ground' and landed softly. He then looked towards Hareta and summoned black embers around him, then held out a hand towards the boy, causing the embers to fly towards him. Hareta merely focused his gaze and dashed towards Faust, quick stepping around the embers and slashing the ones he couldn't avoid. As he got close, he spun around once before making a slash, which Faust dodged. He continued to slash at Faust, who dodged them easily and wondered what Hareta was up to. He soon got his answer, as he was hit from behind by a Fire Blast! The attack set his cloak on fire, so he ripped it off and destroyed it with his Aura.

Faust crouched down as Hareta and Ninetales began to close in on him, standing up and blowing them away with a burst of Aura! Hareta was knocked off of his feet, landing hard on his back as he slid a short distance, while Ninetales was sent flopping along, eventually stopping on her side. As she stood up, Faust fired several Aura beams at her, Ninetales doing her best to avoid them with her great agility. After they stopped, Ninetales held her Nine Strike straight up as she tapped into her magic. After a moment, she made three slashes with her sword, each slash sending a white ring of holy energy towards Faust. Faust growled, "This is bad!" He moved as fast as he could to avoid the rings, narrowly avoiding them, although the last one did brush against him a bit. As he turned around to face Ninetales, he was suddenly surrounded by swirling white spheres. For a second, it looked like they weren't going to do anything, but suddenly, they shot up and then came back down, striking him one at a time, each successive orb moving faster than the previous one.

As he was recovering from these strikes, Faust was sent flying again when Ninetales hit him with a Quick Attack, followed by a Swift attack, the stars she launched from her mouth stunning Faust further. While he tried to shake it off, Hareta called, "I've got this one covered!" Faust turned around at his call and was hit right in the face with a fist, Hareta having jumped up before he attacked. After landing, Hareta sprung up from his knees and slammed into Faust's abdomen, knocking him back to Ninetales, who was waiting with a Dark Pulse that sent him flying. Hareta leapt up after him, getting above him and bringing his heel down on top of his head. The attack sent him back towards the 'ground' again, creating a small crater upon impact. As he lay there, something began to stir in his mind, a familiar, dark feeling...

Hareta landed shortly after Faust did and looked down into the crater he had made. He did not appear to be dead, but at the same time, he wasn't moving much. Ninetales called, "Hareta, did that do it?" Hareta had turned around and was about to call over to her when he was suddenly slashed from behind! He let out a scream of pain as the attack ripped through his jacket, shirt, and undershirt, leaving several slashes on his skin and spilling some of his blood on the 'ground!' Ninetales rushed over to where he had fallen, finding that aside from the fact that blood was beginning to run out of his cuts, he was fine. As she placed a paw above the cuts to apply some healing magic, they both heard an ominous laughing from where Faust had landed, both of them turning their heads to try to look.

Faust began to levitate out of the crater, floating a short distance above the 'ground.' As he cackled madly, a red, transparent pyramid surrounded Faust for a second before filling up with light, blinding both Hareta and Ninetales. When they could see again, they looked on in fear and shock at what they saw. Faust no longer appeared to be possessing the body of Dr. Kiyoshi; what stood in his place was a demon-like entity that stood a little taller than Dr. Kiyoshi. Its entire body was a blood red color, and numerous veins were bulging out, especially along its arms and legs. It had metal plates covering its waistline and right shoulder, as well as a metal gauntlet on its right arm and a metal bracelet on its left arm. It had a pair of jagged, black horns, brown wings, and eyes that were completely white. Trembling in fear, Hareta stuttered, "Wha... What is that...?"

Ninetales, also trembling, whispered, "That is... Faust's real appearance... In actuality, he can be much larger, but I can feel it. Right now, he's got almost as much power now as he would if he was at his true size. He was much closer to reaching full power than I thought..." Hareta pushed himself up onto his knees, still looking at Faust's true form.

The demon growled, in a truly demonic tone, "This has gone on long enough. I will not be denied any longer. If you both would prefer death over what could have been, then I will give it to you. I may not be using my full power, but I will crush you insignificant specks all the same." With nothing left to say, Faust practically teleported over to Hareta and slammed his a fist into his face, causing a slight cracking sound as he sent Hareta flying.

Ninetales brought up her Nine Strike and leapt at Faust, going for a downward slash. Faust easily dodged it and grabbed her face, covering her eyes with his hand as he moved along her side and dug his new razor-sharp teeth into her side, spilling her blood and knocking her back at the same time. As she struggled to get up, he held out a hand towards her, a small vortex forming at his palm. All of a sudden, her yellow-orange Aura vanished and her fur returned to its natural coloration. He smirked, "There's no point in using that power anymore. This time, you're going to die."

He cast his eyes to the side to see Hareta running towards him with Tsumugari held back. He easily dodged Hareta's attack and easily dodged all of the attacks he did afterwards, disappearing every time Hareta either made a slash or charged up an Aura Sphere. Eventually, he reappeared above Hareta and held out his hand towards him, the same vortex forming in his palm. The vortex forced Hareta's Aura back inside of his body, the same way it pushed Ninetales' magic abilities back. He then zoomed down at Hareta with his claws pointing out, landing on Hareta and forcing him to the 'ground' as he dug his claws into his back. Hareta screamed in pain as he pulled his claws back out, now dripping with blood.

Suddenly, Ninetales leapt onto his arm, running her sword into his back while biting down on his arm. Despite the fact that they both broke through his skin, Faust did not seem to feel any pain at all and instead looked at her over his shoulder with such a cold look that her eyes widened in fear. What he did next was hard to say, but one second, Hareta was looking at Ninetales trying to attack Faust, and the next second, there was a splatter of blood at Faust's feet and Ninetales was laying on her side on the 'ground,' a trail of blood smeared at the point where she had landed.

"NINETALES!" Hareta screamed at the sight. As he struggled to push himself up, he could feel his Aura surging again, trying to get out. Faust turned his attention back to him as Hareta began to glow light blue, grunting in surprise as he didn't think that Hareta would be able to use his Aura abilities again so soon. Once he was glowing all over, Hareta quickly leapt to his feet and threw a punch into Faust's chest, knocking him away. While Faust was on the ground, Hareta dashed over to Ninetales, sending his Aura to his hands as soon as he reached her to start healing her.

He didn't get much time to help Ninetales as Faust was soon back up and zooming towards them. With no other option, Hareta scooped up Ninetales in his arms and leapt out of the way, just missing Faust's charging attack. He winced as he landed, though; looking down, he could see that Faust managed to hit him after all, making a fresh cut along the side of his left leg. Ignoring the pain for the moment, he held Ninetales tightly, sending as much of his Aura into her as he could to heal her wounds. She soon leapt out of his arms, turning to look at him and saying, "Save your Aura. You're going to need it."

Then there was no time for words, as Faust reappeared near them and went after Hareta again. Hareta managed to avoid the uppercut that was thrown at him, then dodged several more attacks before leaping back. He had just leapt up when Faust quickly charged up an Aura Sphere and threw it where he was moving towards, the attack exploding behind Hareta and throwing him at Faust. The boy tried to take advantage of this by using the momentum to attack Faust, attempting to kick him when he got close enough. Faust blocked this and several other attacks before grabbing Hareta by his arm and punching him away.

He then turned his attention to Ninetales, who had recovered enough to stand up without falling over and summoned her magic again, her coat turning gray while her Aura reappeared, signaling that the effects of Faust's power had worn off. As she tried to keep Faust busy, Hareta stood up and tried to draw out his Aura, but was unable to, not because Faust's power hadn't worn off yet, but because something was keeping him from doing so. Letting it be, Hareta ran to help Ninetales, managing to get in a punch while Ninetales attacked him with an Iron Tail. They both also managed to slash him once, but that, sadly, was the last hit they would be able to get in.

Faust smacked Hareta away and grabbed Ninetales by her neck, his claws digging into her skin. He then swung his arm back and threw her, the Fox Pokémon hitting the ground hard and bouncing up once before rolling sideways a bit, coming to a rest on her side in a puddle of her own blood. He wore a triumphant smirk as he began to make his way over to her, looking to finish her for good.

Before he could reach her, Hareta leapt in front of him, Tsumugari pointing towards him. They glared at each other a moment before they charged towards each other. They battled close range for several moments, Hareta trying to slash Faust with Tsumugari, before Faust swept his left claws across Hareta, not only ripping his shirt and his jacket's left sleeve, but also leaving him with another slash across the chest and knocking him to the ground so hard that Tsumugari slid away from him. Hareta groaned as he lay on the ground, making a last desperate attempt to attack Faust by charging up an Aura Sphere. But it was no good, as Faust kicked him directly in his chest before he could finish charging, knocking him near where Tsumugari had ended up.

Faust walked over to Hareta as the boy struggled to push himself up, every part of his body screaming in pain. He managed to get up to an unsteady sitting position by the time Faust stood in front of him. He was barely able to look up at Faust as the demon spoke, "So Hareta, do you see now why you are in this position?" Hareta remained silent as Faust continued, "Do you see where your 'bonding' has gotten you? Do you understand what a fool you are now? If your friends actually cared for you, they might've lived and come to help you. But no. Because you believed in them, even holding onto the little bit of hope that they were alive, you let yourself get distracted, and that is why I am the victor and you are dying." After a moment, he raised a hand, an Aura Sphere forming in front of it. As it began to get bigger, Ninetales, who was barely holding herself up on her side, squeezed her eyes shut. "_Hareta... I've failed you... I'm sorry..._"

As Faust was about to end Hareta's life, a glint from the entrance to the Passage of Time caught his attention. Three objects were speeding towards them, moving around in a circular pattern as they flew. Ignoring Hareta for the moment, Faust flew towards the objects to intercept them but they seemed to have known he was coming, as they flew out of the range of his attack. Turning to look back at them, he saw that they had stopped around Hareta. "What's going on here? What are those?" Faust exclaimed, looking on as they began to spin around Hareta.

Both Ninetales and Faust watched as the objects, revealed to be orbs, began to lift Hareta off of the 'ground.' As Hareta looked at them, he began to feel something inside, something new. Suddenly, they came into contact with him and vanished, Hareta letting out a loud yell as a shaft of white light engulfed him!

**Meanwhile, at the Ilex Shrine**

The same shaft of light erupted from beneath the Ilex Shrine, shooting up towards the sky and into the clouds. The doors of the shrine were open, the entrance to the Passage of Time revealed once again, and in front of the shrine, in addition to both Celebi and Sneasel, were Suicune, Raikou, Entei, Gold, Silver, Kotone, Jessie, James, Meowth, and all of Gold, Kotone, and Hareta's Pokémon. They were all looking up at the light, feeling a sense of hope coming from it.

As they looked up at it, all of them were beginning to see in their minds the struggle that was taking place within the Passage of Time. As she was looking up at the light, Kotone clasped her hands together and said, in her mind, "_Please... If anyone can hear this plea, send your strength! Speed this prayer to all the people and Pokémon of the earth. Our friend is fighting for all of you... Please! Lend him your power!_"

* * *

Music:

Desperate Situations - Institute Defense (Perfect Dark)

Hareta Gets Serious - Institute Defense X (Perfect Dark)

Ninetales' Story - Daily Agony (Shenmue)

Unbreakable Faith - Take Your Life (Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew)

Chasing After Faust - Midna's Desperate Hour/Lament (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)

Battle in the Passage of Time - Anubis Encounter (Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner)

Faust's True Form - Yami (Okami)

A Ray of Hope - The Core (Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity)

How do you guys think I did? Personally, I don't think the injuries in this chapter turned out so good, but that's just me. I'm not sure whether to change the story's rating because of this chapter or not.

Anyway, a few notes. The battle between Hareta and Faust in Azalea Town was inspired by the battle between Lord Starkiller and Luke Skywalker/Fallen Luke at Echo Base in SW: TFU: USE. Different ending to the battle, obviously.

When Ninetales is drawing out her magic, except for the Aura around her, she has the same appearance as a shiny Ninetales.

The Passage of Time looks exactly like it does in PMD: EoT/EoD/EoS.

The appearance of Faust's true form was inspired by Mephistopheles' appearance in Castle Age.

I was watching an episode of Wolf's Rain (one of the best animes I've ever seen) while writing the battle with Faust's true form.

Kotone praying at the end was inspired by the battle with Giygas from Earthbound/Mother 2.

That's about all I can think of right now. Next chapter will be the conclusion to the battle.


	45. The Ultimate Victory

**The Sinnoh region, Jubilife City**

"Glaceon, use Ice Beam! Electivire, Thunder attack!" Mitsumi yelled, giving commands to two of her last Pokémon while avoiding an attack launched directly at her. What started as an ambush in the center of the city had turned into an all-out brawl against the Darklings. After managing to take down some of the Darklings, everyone spread out from each other so they could watch out for one another. Because of this, the number of Darklings began to dwindle quickly, making it seem like there would be an easy victory.

But there was no such luck. Just when victory appeared to be within reach, more Darklings began to spawn out of nowhere. The Pokémon were all somewhat hurt after all the battling done at that point, but now, the few Pokémon that were still strong enough to battle were running on fumes, as were their Trainers. All of the humans had suffered their share of battle damage at this point, especially Jun and Mitsumi. Their outfits were ripped in various places, and they both had several injuries, ranging from minor to moderate, all over. This battle was quickly turning into a hopeless situation, one that none of them could hope to get away from.

Glaceon and Electivire were able to hit their targets dead on, dissipating them into a flurry of wisps, only to be hit hard from the side and sent flying. They landed on the ground near Mitsumi, swirls forming in their eyes almost immediately afterwards as the last of their strength ebbed away. "Glaceon! Electivire!" Mitsumi cried, running over to them. A hornet-like Darkling went shooting towards her as she ran, looking to stab her. She narrowly missed the stinger, though her face was clipped by its wings, causing her tattered beanie to fall from her head. Leaving it behind, she made her way over to her Pokémon and recalled them, getting them out of harm's way.

As she looked around the battlefield that Jubilife City had become, it seemed to her that they were only prolonging the inevitable. The only Pokémon she had that were at full strength were her Starly and Eevee; Infernape wasn't defeated yet, but she had recalled it because it was hurt all the same. And everyone else was in a similar predicament: none of their Pokémon were anywhere near full battling strength. A punch suddenly came at her and she ducked out of the way, backing up quickly to get away from her attacker. She soon found herself back by the fountain, where the battle started, and soon everyone else was there too, some of them having Pokémon that were still fighting.

"How can this be happening? These things just keep appearing and we're running out of restorative items for our Pokémon!" Jupiter growled.

"It looks like this is the end. Not just for us, but likely this whole world as well," Cyrus mused to himself. He was mad about the way things were turning out, but he refused to show it.

Saturn turned to Cyrus and spoke, "This isn't the end, Master Cyrus! These creatures have to have some way of calling for more of their kind! That's why they're overwhelming us! We've just got to get away from this area and figure out how they're doing it and-"

Koya suddenly interrupted him, "You may be right about this not being the end. Look there! Something's happening!" Koya was pointing to the northwest as he was speaking and everyone looked in that direction as well. Although it looked to be very far away, possibly coming from another region, everyone could very clearly see a shaft of white light rising into the sky, penetrating the thick, black clouds.

"What... what on earth is that? Something to do with this 'Faust' person?" Mars asked.

Jun spoke, "I don't think it has anything to do with that guy. Look at these things!" Everyone turned their gaze to the Darklings, who appeared to be looking at the light in fear, some very noticeably trembling. "Whatever is causing that light, these things don't seem to like it! This might be our chance to turn this battle around!" Everyone agreed with Jun and grabbed whatever healing items they had left for their Pokémon, restoring them to full strength and bringing them out to battle. Even as they started attacking, the Darklings remained oblivious to them, their attention focused solely on the light. As the large team continued the fight, some of them began to feel something from the light, a feeling that someone they knew was fighting for them...

**Within the Passage of Time**

The shaft of white light surrounding Hareta began to die down, both Ninetales and Faust uncovering their eyes and looking as it vanished completely. What they saw didn't seem particularly unusual: Hareta was floating in midair, his face angled down as he seemed to be hanging like a puppet. Aside from the fact that all of his wounds were completely healed and the torn parts of his clothing were repaired, nothing seemed to have changed about him. Thinking nothing of what had just happened, Faust chuckled, "Is that all? You somehow healed yourself completely, Hareta? Sorry, but even at your full strength, you're nothing to me. Allow me to show you."

He spread his wings and flapped them, lifting up off the ground a bit. As he angled himself to fly towards Hareta, Ninetales yelled, "Hareta, look out! He's going to attack you!" But no matter how much Ninetales called to him, Hareta made no response at all, not even a twitch. Faust, after getting the correct alignment, flew towards the boy at high speed, one arm held back with his black Aura surrounding it, intending to slam it into Hareta and completely destroy him in one hit.

However, when he had flown about halfway, Hareta suddenly jerked his head up, looking directly at Faust. Despite the fact that he was at full power, what Faust saw unnerved him more than a little bit. Hareta's eyes had turned completely red and he was wearing a glare that said 'I'm gonna kill you, and you can't stop me.' Regaining his composure, Faust continued flying towards him as Hareta brought his arms up in front of his chest, crossing them in an X shape. As Faust was about to reach him, Hareta spread his arms out to his sides and, what could best be described as a combination of his normal voice and a dragon's, roared, "GRRR-OOOOOO!" The sheer force of the roar not only stopped Faust from advancing, but also sent him flying backwards!

Ninetales looked on in surprise, not only at what Hareta had just done, but also at what was happening to him now. His Aura was surging around him again, but there were also three balls of light surrounding him. One was dark blue, another was pink, and the last was yellow. As Hareta landed on the 'ground,' the spheres joined with him, first the dark blue, then the pink, and finally the yellow, each one changing his Aura's color for a moment. After they had all joined with him, a white sphere surrounded him for a second before fading.

After the sphere had vanished, Hareta turned to look at Ninetales, giving her a better look of what he had changed into. His clothes, although they were the same colors as usual, now seemed to have an armor-like appearance to them. Instead of his light blue Aura, a pure white Aura was billowing around him. But the most shocking changes were in his face and hair. His hair had changed from raven black to the same color white as the Aura surrounding him and spiked up slightly in the back. His eyes were still red, but only his pupils were red; the sclera around the pupil had changed to a dark green. Although he still had a serious look on his face, she could feel him in there, feel that he was in control of himself.

While Hareta held his right hand out towards Tsumugari, which began to gravitate towards him, he held his left hand up with the fingers pointing inwards. Suddenly, a symbol appeared beneath Ninetales and she found herself surrounded by a white sphere. Inside the sphere, she could feel that not only were her injuries healing, but something was happening to her. Hareta soon lowered his hand, letting it rest against his side like his right hand, which was now holding Tsumugari, and the sphere surrounding Ninetales slowly vanished.

As her vision cleared, Ninetales looked herself over. Her yellow fur had turned white, while her red eyes and the tips of her tails had turned black. Running along parts of her body, particularly her sides and back, were bright crimson marks, all traits reminiscent of the sun goddess, Amaterasu. Despite the unbelievable change she went through, it somehow seemed natural to Ninetales, as knowledge of her new form flowed into her mind. She looked up at Hareta and they nodded to each other, ready to finish this fight.

They turned their attention back to Faust, who had gotten up and was now flying towards them, yelling, "You fools! It is useless! No matter what you do, you cannot win! NOW DIE!" As he flew towards them, he held his hands out towards them, firing a beam of Aura out of each hand. Both of them came shooting at them at blinding speed, but all of a sudden, time seemed to slow down to a crawl as a slight mist appeared in the passage. Only Hareta and Ninetales didn't seem to be affected by it, Hareta taking the opportunity to get between the two beams and slash through them, making them explode. Despite being right between them, Hareta didn't seem to be affected at all by the explosions.

Suddenly, the mist disappeared and time began to move normally again. Faust briefly wondered what just happened but returned to the situation when he saw Ninetales leap over Hareta and dash towards him. As she began to get closer, he threw his head back and then forward, releasing a breath saturated with darkness. But Ninetales kept running towards him, and suddenly, a strong wind blew through the Passage of Time, preventing his breath from reaching her. She was soon right in front of Faust, at which point she slashed him across the torso with her Nine Strike and, while still moving, whipped around and knocked him upwards with a powerful Iron Tail. While he was airborne, she launched a white-hot Fire Blast at him.

Reeling from these unexpectedly powerful hits, Faust attempted to collect himself when he felt something approaching him from the ground. Turning around, Faust saw Hareta leaping up at him with his arms outstretched. With the white Aura glowing around his hands, Hareta pushed Faust through the air for several moments before pulling his right arm back and swinging it around into Faust's face, sending him crashing down to the 'ground,' creating a slight crater when he landed.

As he lay on the ground, Faust looked up at Hareta, wondering just how the boy was flying. Leaving the matter alone, he growled as he climbed out of the crater and suddenly shot towards Hareta at blinding speed. The sudden speed caught Hareta by surprise and he found himself on the receiving end of a barrage of punches laced with black Aura. The punches lasted for several moments before something seemingly slashed Faust along his back, disrupting his attack. While Hareta was recovering from the blows, Faust glanced around for Ninetales, seeing her standing a distance away, far too far away to have attacked with her sword.

Turning his attention back to Hareta, who had just recovered and was looking at Faust, he threw a punch at the boy's face. Just when it was about to hit, however, his Aura turned yellow and his white hair glowed blue for a second, his body turning black and vanishing immediately afterwards. Faust looked around, growling, "Rrrrrgh! Where are you, you little brat?" Right after saying that, he got his answer as Hareta suddenly appeared right behind him and blasted him with a glowing white Aura Sphere.

Hareta dropped down to the 'ground,' landing as lightly as a feather. Faust soon landed as well and turned towards the boy, his arms being surrounded by his black Aura. He flew towards the boy as Hareta took Tsumugari in hand and waited for his chance. When Faust reached him, they began to lash out at each other, Hareta managing to land several strikes, though Faust landed many more. When Hareta was suddenly knocked away, Ninetales came shooting by Faust, using Quick Attack to move at blinding speed while she ran around him and slashed him.

Hareta took a moment to use his Aura to heal before jumping back into the fray, jumping into the air and spinning in a somersault when he was close enough to Faust. His spinning allowed him to land several single strikes on Faust, disorienting him. Hareta and Ninetales tag teamed Faust for several minutes before he suddenly disappeared, black orbs surrounding them and, after a moment, slamming into them. Recovering from that, they noticed Faust disappearing and reappearing around the passage, creating more orbs as he flew, either in a straight line or in a circle around them, each moving so fast it was nearly impossible to dodge them.

When they had a moment where Faust wasn't moving, Hareta used his Aura to heal both of them completely. He then turned to Ninetales and said, in slightly deeper voice, "I think he's planning something. Let me go first." Ninetales nodded and watched him run towards Faust, using Tsumugari to slash through the black orbs he was firing. As he got close, Hareta leapt into the air to slash Faust, only to have the demon disappear and reappear behind him. As soon as he reappeared, he held out both hands towards Hareta and fired black lightning from them, making Hareta unable to move while he electrocuted him.

Seeing what Faust was doing, Ninetales yelled, "Hareta!" and dashed towards the two. Faust moved one of his hands away from Hareta and towards Ninetales, throwing some of his lightning at her. In defense, she held her Nine Strike up, the blade absorbing the lightning and negating it due to the power Ninetales was exuding. As she got closer, she noticed Hareta seemed to be planning something and leapt between him and Faust with Nine Strike in front of her, sending Faust's lightning back at him. As she dropped down, Hareta's Aura briefly turned pink and he turned to face Faust, pulling back his right arm as it began to gather pink energy. As Faust recovered and looked at him, Hareta yelled, "Spacial Rend!" and fired a pink crescent blade at him, which pushed him back a bit before exploding.

While he was flying, Ninetales ran underneath him and soon leapt up to intercept him, summoning a Will-O-Wisp as she slashed at him several times. After the flames she summoned had struck him, she grabbed him with her tails and whirled him around once before throwing him away from her. As he recovered and Hareta came over to her side, Ninetales smiled, "Is that the best you can do?"

After Faust recovered, the battle continued, both sides alternating between ground and aerial combat throughout. Eventually, Faust attempted to blast them both with a pair of Aura beams, this time putting 80% of his Aura into them. The resulting beams were huge; with Faust on the ground and standing a distance away from them, there was no chance to avoid them as long as they were moving. Seeing this, Hareta held his right hand out towards the beams as his Aura briefly turned dark blue, shouting, "Time Stop!" Suddenly, the beams froze in midair, as did Faust. While they were stopped, Hareta and Ninetales moved past them, heading towards Faust with Ninetales leading. She attacked first, jumping up and blasting the frozen Faust with a Fire Blast. As she came back down, she made a slash along his side with her Nine Strike.

Suddenly, time started moving for Faust again, and he immediately felt the damage that both of Ninetales' attacks had done. There was no time to heal, as Hareta was in front of him, bombarding him with a flurry of punches. After taking several, he managed to bring his arms up to block them before kicking him away. He then turned around and fired an Aura Sphere at Ninetales, only to have it somehow sliced in two by an unseen slash. Undeterred, he flew at her and attempted to punch her, Ninetales agilely moving around his blows before leaping away, though this gave him the chance he needed and punched her while she was in midair.

Hareta dashed over to Ninetales to check on her and was relieved to see she was okay. Both of them then turned their attention back to Faust, who had his Aura surrounding his hands. He then brought both of his hands together, creating a sphere around both of them and raising it up. The sphere spread the black Aura around the Passage of Time, making everything except Hareta, Ninetales, and Faust impossible to see, since the Aura was covering everything. Suddenly, hundreds of the small black orbs appeared in all directions, Faust sending every single one of them at Hareta and Ninetales! Ninetales yelled, "Hareta!" as she brought her Nine Strike up, Hareta nodding and clutching Tsumugari in both hands as he went behind Ninetales.

As the orbs came shooting at them, Hareta and Ninetales went into high speed mode. While staying back to back, they moved around in a circle, slashing at the orbs at such a fast pace that it was hard to see the strikes. The orbs kept firing at them, but they kept deflecting, and soon enough, the black surrounding them faded and there were no more orbs left. Amazingly, neither Hareta nor Ninetales suffered a single hit during the entire ordeal.

But there was no time to rest, as Faust suddenly appeared in front of Ninetales and punched her in the face, sending her flopping back. "Ninetales!" Hareta exclaimed as he saw her land, but turned his face around when he noticed Faust was standing right in front of him while charging up a black Aura Sphere. As he was about to slam it into the boy's face, a sudden Flamethrower intercepted him, destroying the sphere and knocking both Hareta and Faust back.

Faust recovered from the explosion quickly and flew in front of Hareta, throwing a barrage of punches at him. Miraculously, Hareta avoided the barrage and leapt back, preparing to charge at Faust as he landed. Before he did, Ninetales called, "Hareta!" and threw her Nine Strike towards him. Hareta turned around and caught it with his free left hand, turning around afterwards and holding the Nine Strike in a reverse grip in front of him while he held Tsumugari behind him in a forward grip.

A second later, Hareta focused his Aura into his legs and dashed, so fast that he looked like he was teleporting, in front of Faust. He then slammed the side of Nine Strike into Faust's chest before spinning around and slashing him with Tsumugari. He then used both swords to attack him in a flurry, each sword releasing Aura energy as they hit. After several slashes, he slashed Faust on the side of the head with Tsumugari before bringing Nine Strike up underneath his chin, sending him upward. After spinning both blades around in his hands, he leapt up after him, slamming both blades into his back. As he held Faust there, Hareta said, "It's over!" and pushed with both swords, sending him higher. As he managed to right himself and attempted to recover from Hareta's attack, Faust thought, "_Impossible! The time changes, the invisible slashes, those moves this boy performed... Can both of them really harness the powers of the gods?_"

Hareta did a flip after attacking Faust and landed next to Ninetales. He then held Tsumugari so it was pointing towards Faust and asked, "Ready, Ninetales?" The Fox Pokémon nodded and wrapped her tails around the hilt of Tsumugari, around his fingers. A small glow appeared as their powers began to mix together, an orange orb beginning to form where they joined together. As he saw this, Faust realized what they were doing and tried to shake off the paralysis that Hareta had inflicted when he struck his back, thinking, "_NO! That's impossible! They can't... They shouldn't be able to do that!_"

When the orb had grown to a considerable size, both Hareta and Ninetales shouted, "JUDGMENT!" The orb was then fired into the air, leaving behind streaks as it rose higher. Once it was above Faust, it exploded and released multiple pink meteors that rained down on Faust. The meteors cut right through Faust's body, cutting through his insides without actually breaking his skin. He groaned loudly in pain as they kept bombarding him; Judgment was a powerful move by itself, but the version that Hareta and Ninetales used was enhanced by their new power and it was separating him from his host. Before their connection was severed, he turned his head and locked eyes with Ninetales, the two of them glaring at each other for a moment. Then their gaze was broken as Faust let out a deafening roar, a white light shining from within his body and consuming him in an explosion!

Hareta lowered Tsumugari as the attack finished, both him and Ninetales watching as something surrounded by a white light was slowly lowered to the 'ground.' When it landed, the light faded to reveal Dr. Kiyoshi, his hair back to its brown color and his skin was no longer pale. His skin was, however, stained black, as if he had been in some kind of accident, and his clothes were still torn. Hareta and Ninetales gasped and ran over to him, dropping down when they were next to him and looking him over. As he looked at the doctor, Hareta asked, "Ninetales, is he...?"

After a moment of feeling over him with her tails, Ninetales gasped, "By the gods... It's like someone beat him repeatedly with a club... We'll have to work quickly." At that, Hareta focused his Aura into his hands and pressed down against Dr. Kiyoshi's chest while Ninetales laid several of her tails down on him and used her healing magic while attempting mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

After a minute of healing and breathing, Dr. Kiyoshi began to breathe on his own, but the internal damage didn't seem to be getting any better. As they were about to focus more energy to heal him, a voice that seemed to come from all around them spoke, "Do not worry, my children. The darkness that corrupted this man has not completely left him yet, but it will soon, and then he will be fine." Both Hareta and Ninetales looked around, trying to locate the source of the voice. After a moment, they noticed a shadow at one end of the Passage of Time approaching them...

**Meanwhile, the Sinnoh region, Jubilife City**

Mitsumi, Jun, Koya, the Elite Four, the former Team Galactic members, and all their Pokémon looked on as the Darklings around them began to either cry out or fall down and dissipate. Shortly after they had gotten up and started attacking again, the shaft of light had disappeared and the Darklings turned their attention back to them. Although they fought just as hard as before, the Trainers and their Pokémon had somehow managed to control the situation better than before. Now it seemed like the Darklings were giving up, now that their master had been defeated.

"Strange... Why are they giving up now? Even though we were doing better, they were still putting up quite a fight..." Lucian mused to himself.

"I'm sure it has something to do with the shaft of light from earlier. Whatever caused it must've been related somehow to this 'Lord Faust' they mentioned after all," Cynthia said.

Flint grinned, "Hey, as far as I'm concerned, we won this battle, and if that Faust guy got beaten by someone, then I'd say it's a victory all around!"

Jun looked up at the sky and, upon seeing something, yelled, "Hey, look!" Everyone turned their attention to the sky, seeing what had grabbed Jun's attention. A large bird that was glowing brightly with flames and rainbow wings was flying overhead. As it flew, the dark clouds covering the sky began to part, letting the sun's rays shine through. As it disappeared from their sight, it gave a loud cry and a rainbow could be seen where it was flying.

"That was a Pokémon, wasn't it? What was it?" Koya wondered out loud.

Bertha brought a hand to her chin, "I have an idea of what it might've been... but I won't make any wild guess right now."

Mitsumi looked up at the blue sky as the thick covering of clouds returned to being fluffy, white clouds. The warmth of the sun, the beauty of the sky, the way time and the wind moved... Even though the time the world had spent under cover of darkness was short, it was enough to make her realize how many things she taken for granted. She closed her eyes and muttered to herself, "It's beautiful... Everything is, really."

Koya glanced around suddenly and said, "Hey... looks like Cyrus and the others took off." Everyone glanced around and realized that Cyrus, the commanders, and B-2 had indeed taken their leave without them noticing.

Aaron held his hands behind his head as he said, "Ah, Cyrus was the one who disbanded Team Galactic anyway. Whatever they were doing before they met with us, I'm sure it has nothing to do with causing trouble. Right now, all my Pokémon are really beat, and so am I. After all that, I think they deserve a good long rest, and so do the rest of us." It was at that point that everyone remembered what they had just gone through and laughed, knowing Aaron was absolutely right.

**Meanwhile, the Johto region, Ilex Forest Shrine**

Gold, Kotone, Silver, Jessie, James, and all the Pokémon looked at the opening to the Passage of Time as it seemed something was emerging from it. All of a sudden, Hareta, Ninetales, and Dr. Kiyoshi appeared in front of them and fell to the ground rather hard. Ninetales' fur had gone back to its yellow color while Hareta's eyes and clothes were back to normal, though his hair was still white. While Hareta and Ninetales recovered from the sudden change in inertia, everyone looked on in surprise, both at their sudden appearance and that Dr. Kiyoshi was with them. Gold asked, "Hareta? What happened to you guys?"

Hareta, who was sitting up at this point, looked up when he heard his voice, surprised to see everyone looking back at him. Having thought that his friends had been killed by Faust's underlings, he almost found it hard to believe they were standing right in front of him. He asked, "You guys... You're okay...?"

Kotone nodded, "Yeah, we're fine. Why wouldn't we be?"

Hareta shook his head, "That guy... Faust... He said he had you killed when Blackthorn City was attacked..." Gold, Kotone, and his Pokémon let out a light gasp at that, realizing that Hareta must've heard about the attack and Faust had used it against him.

Kotone spoke first, "It was a lie, Hareta. Sure, the city got attacked, and it's going to take a while to repair all the damage, but nobody was killed. Some of the people living there got badly hurt, but that's as bad as it got. No one was actually killed. He must've been trying to trick you."

As Dr. Kiyoshi began to stir, the voice that Hareta and Ninetales had heard earlier spoke, "Indeed. It was no more than a lie meant to break your spirit, my child." Everyone looked around upon hearing the voice, and the owner soon revealed itself. Appearing in front of the shrine was a large, equine-like Pokémon that was white and gray with gold hooves. It had a long neck, a cross-like wheel attached to its body, and red eyes with green sclera. Floating around it were the Adamant, Lustrous, and Griseous Orbs. Before anyone could say anything, it spoke, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Original One and the keeper of the Jewel of Life... Arceus."

This shocked everyone, aside from the Legendary Beasts, Gold just barely managing to ask, "Arceus? The Pokémon that created Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina? But how...?"

Arceus spoke, "Long have I slept, waiting for the time to reawaken. Even in my sleep, I could see and feel many things. What awoke me was the power that you brought to your friend, the orbs of my children that awakened his true power."

Kotone asked, "So by bringing him the orbs, Hareta was able to get even stronger than he normally would be able to?"

Arceus nodded, "Yes. Although my children may not be able to cross into your world directly, they can transfer a fraction of their power through the orbs. But they can only do this with someone they have a strong bond with, so as not to have their power abused. And your friend Hareta is the only one who shares such a bond with all of them. Just as the legend I left behind promised."

Hareta asked, "The legend that Aunt Lyra found? You left that? Why?"

Arceus explained, "In a perfect balance, there are two sides to everything, just like the two sides of a coin. Time cannot exist without space, darkness cannot exist without light to create and banish it, and there will always be benevolent souls to stand against and drive away evil. However, there is always the chance that one force may become more powerful than the other, throwing the balance off. And it cannot always be corrected little by little; at times it requires an immediate correction to prevent the upset balance from undoing everything. I realized this before I departed this world, as it was something far beyond my power. I was also aware of the feud between my first children and was searching for a way to correct it. And during my search, I saw how the conflict would end, and it would be brought about by a human."

Gold asked, "A human? You mean Hareta, right?"

Arceus nodded, "Yes. I could sense that he would develop a bond with them, bringing an end to any animosity they had." It then eyed the orbs spinning around it as it continued, "These jewels were made to contain a small fraction of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina's powers. That is why Dialga and Palkia could get stronger when in contact with their orbs and why Giratina can assume its Origin Forme outside of its domain. There is also a link between them, allowing them to see anyone who comes into contact with the orbs. Because of this, the only way anyone can use the power within the orbs is if there is a bond between the one that holds them and the dragons. That is how you were able to harness their energy and share it with your friend, Hareta."

Hareta was left speechless at this revelation, realizing his ability to bond with Pokémon was more than just a gift. He soon stood up, his hair fading back to its natural raven black color, and said, "I see... So what happens now?"

Arceus smiled, "That's really up to you, isn't it? You may have been destined to protect the world, but you're still your own master. I am sure that you will still continue to do what you love, but you must always be ready to take up the role as a hero, a guardian. And so, I will keep these orbs with me at the Hall of Origin. They will be safe there." Arceus then noticed the sword on Hareta's back, noting that it seemed like something that could get him in trouble if he carried it around in plain view. Its eyes began to glow blue, Tsumugari lifting out of its sheath and going over to Arceus. It then said, "I will keep this as well. Even though it has a safeguard to prevent anyone from misusing it, it still wouldn't be good if it were stolen. If you ever need it or the orbs, just call their names and I'll send them to you."

As Arceus was about to leave, Hareta spoke up, "Arceus, just one more thing. If I ever need to see you or want to visit, is there any way to reach you?"

Arceus looked at him and replied, "I'll link myself to your sword so that I can talk to you through it. But if you want to see me in person..." It closed its eyes and suddenly, a ball of white light appeared in front of it, floating down to Hareta. The boy held his hands out under it when it got close enough, the ball landing in his hands and fading away to reveal a purple flute with a red mouthpiece. Arceus then explained, "This is the Azure Flute. Come to the Spear Pillar atop Mt. Coronet and play it. It will grant you access to the Hall of Origin." As it turned to leave, it smiled one last time at Hareta, "I wish you and all of your friends well, Hareta. Goodbye for now." And with that, Arceus rose up towards the sky with the orbs and Tsumugari, all of them soon vanishing.

Silence ruled the area around the shrine for several moments before Hareta suddenly found himself on the bottom of a pile as most of his Pokémon suddenly swarmed him! In particular, he was pushed down by Sneasel, Minun, Quilava, Misdreavus, Lucario, and Luxray. After a moment, Empoleon reached into the pile and pulled him out so that he could stand up, giving him a hug of his own as he held the boy. All of his other Pokémon stayed close by with relieved smiles on their faces. Gold, Kotone, Ninetales, Celebi, and the Legendary Beasts were also smiling, while Silver appeared content with the outcome and Jessie, James, and Meowth were hugging each other while crying a river of tears, happy to be alive.

The only one not pleased was Dr. Kiyoshi. While he was glad that Hareta had been victorious, he was disgusted with himself for letting Faust take control of him. While Hareta thanked everyone for coming to help him and Silver left afterwards, saying he could thank him with a battle later, he sat in the grass, his arms holding his legs close to his chest as he turned away from everyone, his gaze on the ground. Ninetales noticed what he was doing and came over, sidling up next to him. He instantly recognized the feel of her fur and muttered, "Ammy... Please go away... I don't have any right to even see you after what I've done..."

Ninetales spoke, catching everyone's attention and putting the reunion on hold, "Doctor... It's not your fault." Dr. Kiyoshi didn't bother to look back at her or even respond, so she continued, "You weren't in control of yourself. That demon got its name from its first host, you know. You're not the only one who fell under his control."

The doctor shook his head, "That doesn't change the fact that he was using my body. No matter what, my hands are still stained with the blood of those I care for."

As he watched Ninetales trying to convince Dr. Kiyoshi, Hareta was reminded of something that happened not long ago. He slowly walked over to the doctor, trying to avoid pushing his legs too much at the moment, until he was standing in front of him. The doctor noticed his feet and dared a glance up at him. He spoke, "You've got something to tell me, don't you, Hareta? I can understand why you would. If your friends hadn't shown up, I would've killed you and Ammy. Of course you'd be angry."

Hareta didn't say anything for a moment, then asked, "Doc, could you look at me? At my face?" The doctor slowly lifted his head up, his eyes meeting Hareta's. He was surprised; he expected to see anger in Hareta's eyes. Instead, he found only forgiveness, which confused him. Sensing his confusion, Hareta said, "I'm going to do for you what a good friend did for me not too long ago." He then grabbed Dr. Kiyoshi's torn shirt with his left hand and slapped his face with his right hand.

Hareta's sudden action surprised most everyone who was present; the only ones who weren't surprised were Empoleon, Suicune, Entei, and Raikou. Rubbing his cheek, Dr. Kiyoshi looked up at Hareta, "Wha-? Why did you...?"

Hareta asked, "Doctor, do you know why you weren't destroyed along with Faust when that Judgment hit?" Dr. Kiyoshi shook his head, so Hareta answered, "It's not just a powerful move that Arceus knows. It can actually pass judgment on anyone it hits. It destroyed Faust because he was evil by nature, but it spared you because there is little evil within you. It allowed you to live because of that; I didn't manipulate it to do that, and neither did Ninetales."

Dr. Kiyoshi muttered, "I don't believe... But, even so..." He was interrupted when Ninetales let out a growl right next to his ear. That was enough to silence him.

Gold spoke, "Doctor, you've got to stop blaming yourself. From what I can gather, you didn't have anything to do with what happened. That Faust guy may have controlled your body, but clearly, he didn't have complete control over you. If you saw everything, then he didn't control your will. That might've had some kind of effect on what he was doing."

Kotone added, "If Hareta says he forgives you, doctor, then he really means it. He knows you were being used against your will. He knows you wouldn't do anything like that under your own power. Obviously, it's going to be hard to get over the memories, but we'll be there to help you!" Suicune, Entei, and Raikou also spoke to Dr. Kiyoshi with their telepathy, showing him their forgiveness as well.

After a minute, Dr. Kiyoshi stood up, wiped his face on the sleeve of his shirt, and then looked at Hareta with a relieved smile, "All right. I can feel that you are telling the truth. And I thank you for your forgiveness and for saving me." Hareta nodded as everyone smiled in relief. Hareta, Gold, and Kotone then turned to the Legendary Beasts and thanked them for helping them, both with stopping Faust and helping the doctor. They nodded and shared one last look with the Trainers before taking off again. Celebi, meanwhile, was talking with Grovyle, both of them glad to see each other again.

After the Legendary Beasts left, Gold came over to Hareta and took his backpack off of his back, saying, "Hey man, I don't mean to put any extra weight on you after what you went through, but I wanted to give this back to you. You were probably wondering where it was." Hareta gladly took it from him, thanking him for hanging onto it. Almost immediately after slipping his backpack on, Hareta's Kadabra and Scyther began to glow! After a minute, the glow faded, revealing that the Metal Coat that Hareta had given Scyther while in Blackthorn City had vanished, allowing it to become a Scizor, while Kadabra had evolved into an Alakazam!

Everyone was surprised at the sudden evolution. Kotone spoke up after a moment, "Well, that was, like, a Pokémon special. Maybe getting your Poké Balls back could be considered a trade in a way, huh, Hareta?"

Hareta smiled, "Guess so! Wow!" He began to walk over to them, but suddenly stumbled and fell down on one knee. "Ooh... Guess that battle is starting to catch up with me. All of a sudden, I feel exhausted," he grinned weakly.

"You? Exhausted? That's a new one!" Gold joked. Lucario and Luxray came over to Hareta, Lucario lifting Hareta up and setting him on Luxray's back. Gold came over and said, "Let's head over to Azalea Town's Pokémon Center. We can rest up before we decide what to do next."

Dr. Kiyoshi nodded, "I agree. What about you, Ammy? Do you need someone to carry you as well?" Ninetales was about to say no when she stumbled while trying to walk, falling over with her tails spread out behind her. The doctor smiled and picked her up, saying, "I suppose that's a 'yes.' Well, don't worry. I'll carry you." Ninetales smiled at that.

As they were about to leave, Jessie called, "Wait a minute!" Everyone turned back to them, wondering what was wrong. She, James, and Meowth dropped to their knees, Jessie saying, "Listen, we don't have anywhere to go now. Team Rocket is gone for good."

James added, "And even if it wasn't, we couldn't go back anyway. We made too many mistakes during our time in Team Rocket. That's why they kicked us out."

Meowth finished, "Please, let us come with youse guys! We'll make it up to you somehow! Promise!"

Kotone turned to Hareta, "Well, like we mentioned, they did help us get the orbs, even though they didn't have to, Hareta. Gold and I are willing to let bygones be bygones. What do you think? Can they hang around us for a while?"

Hareta thought a moment and then said, "Sure. They can come along. Just as long as they don't try anything funny. But I'm sure they won't." The former Team Rocket trio giddily came over and bowed down next to Luxray, thanking Hareta for giving them a second chance.

Sneasel sighed as she watched this, one hand wrapped around the other near her side, "(Daddy... You're so forgiving and sweet.)" Quilava and Misdreavus overheard her and looked over at her, noticing a slight blush on her cheeks.

Kotone nudged Gold in the side and pointed her head towards his hoodie's pocket when he looked at her. He looked down at it for a moment before realizing what she was getting at and walking over to Hareta. After stepping around Jessie, James, and Meowth, he reached into his pocket and pulled out Hareta's hat, handing it to him. "Heh, almost forgot about this. We found it while we were looking for you," Gold said. Hareta happily took it back and put it on his head the way he liked it.

Dr. Kiyoshi spoke, "I'm glad that that's settled. Shall we be going?" Everyone agreed and, after Grovyle and Celebi said goodbye, began making their way south, back to Azalea Town. High above the forest canopy, a large, silver-winged bird was flying northwest, heading for the Whirl Islands.

High up in the sky, far above the clouds, Arceus, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina were watching over the group heading back to Azalea Town. As they watched them walk, Arceus whispered, "A new day brings new adventure. But for now... Rest easy, heroes."

* * *

Music:

A No-Win Situation? - Fire (Shadow of Destiny/Memories)

The New Power Awakened - Okami Shiranui (Okami)

The Real Final Battle - Rising Sun (Okami)

Final Attack - Galactic Warrior (Metroid: Net Mission arrangemnt)

Return of the Sun - Pollyanna (Mother 3)

Arceus' Appearance and Talk - Chozo Artifact Temple (Metroid Prime)

Forgiveness - Theme of the Celestials (Okami)

All Together Again - The Continuing Journey (Okami)

Whew, this was a long time coming. Again, my feelings on this are mixed. I hope everyone enjoyed reading it, since I'm not sure how I feel about it. In particular, I'm not entirely sure about the post-battle scenes.

So on with the notes.

If anyone wants a better idea of what Ninetales looks like during the battle, send me a message and I'll give you a link.

For the battle itself, I was thinking of two final battles while writing: the battle with Yami's final form in Okami, and the battle against Xemnas in Kingdom Hearts 2.

The evolution of Hareta's Scyther and Kadabra is a reference to Pokémon Special. Blue's Machoke evolved into Machamp after he got his Pokémon back from Red.

The last line by Arceus was taken directly from the ending of the Last Episode in Sonic Adventure 2.


	46. Silver Exposure

It has been two months since the week the world was covered in darkness, two months following the battle that took place in the Passage of Time. Since this brief time, towns and cities all across the world have been busy with reconstruction efforts, as well as search and rescue efforts for people who have gone missing. Overall, though, no specific area on the globe was heavily affected by the darkness, and many people are beginning to get over the scare they went through.

In the Johto region, a long-awaited day has arrived: the start of the Johto League Silver Conference. Due to the many sightings of the legendary Ho-Oh immediately after the disaster, this year's league is very special, as many believe that it was through Ho-Oh's power that light returned to the world. Little do they know that the true reason for this is because of a small group of travelers that has arrived in Silver Town at the base of Mt. Silver on registration day.

"Hello out there, viewers! It's your favorite reporter, Jessadia, coming to you live from Silver Town, site of the Johto League Silver Conference! We'll be bringing you all the latest updates on this year's competition, held in honor of the legendary Ho-Oh! Yes, the very same Legendary that was seen following that brief scare two months ago!" Jessie, who was wearing the same outfit from when she posed as a reporter for the Pokéathlon, said. Once again, James was the cameraman while Meowth wore a suit and Wobbuffet was wearing a cap turned backwards. In addition, James' Mime Jr. was sitting on Jessie's shoulder, being cute for the viewers.

When she was finished speaking and James had shut off the camera, Jessie leaned forward and sighed, somewhat exhausted from talking so much. She perked up when she heard clapping and turned to see Dr. Kiyoshi, who had gotten rid of his old lab coat and was now wearing a light blue collared shirt with a chest pocket, gray pants, and brown shoes, and Ninetales walking over to her. When they were close enough, Dr. K. spoke, "Brilliant, Jessie! Just brilliant! I'm not sure about your ways of finding work, but you're really something." Ninetales let out a light cry at that, agreeing with the doctor.

Jessie gave a slight bow to him, "Thanks. That means a lot to me, you know." She then stood up straight and asked, "Say, where are the kids at?"

Dr. Kiyoshi replied, "They went to over to the Pokémon Center so that Gold and Hareta can register. Once that's done, they should be able to check into the dorm rooms before the screening round begins. Just to be sure, though, I'm going to go check on them." As he and Ninetales turned to go, he called back, "Be sure to keep everyone on the edge of their seats!"

Jessie called back, "Will do!" Afterwards, she sighed, "I'm thirsty. Hey James, go get me a glass of water."

After a bit of walking, Dr. Kiyoshi and Ninetales passed the main stadium and the smaller battle arenas, arriving at the Pokémon Center. Stepping between the sliding doors, they looked around the lobby to find Hareta (who was holding his Sneasel in his arms), Gold (who had Pikachu and Pichu on his shoulders), and Kotone (with her Eevee on her right shoulder) in the seating area, Gold talking on his PokéGear. As they got closer, they heard a woman on the other end saying, "I'm sorry, dear. I'd love to come out and see the battles from the stands, but I just can't rearrange my schedule."

Gold replied, "That's okay, mom. I know that you and dad have your busy days. Still, try to catch some of it on the TV if you can."

Gold's mother spoke, "Certainly, honey. But don't worry; no matter what I'm doing, I'll be sending you all sorts of good vibrations!" Everyone then heard a kind of humming sound coming from the other end.

Hareta, Sneasel, Kotone, and Eevee giggled a little upon hearing the humming, while Gold sweat dropped and muttered, "Yeah mom, you do that..."

Kotone spoke up, "Don't worry, ma'am. Between me, my Pokémon, Dr. Kiyoshi, and Ninetales, there should be plenty of cheers for both Hareta and Gold."

They heard his mother reply, "All right, Kotone. Be sure to ring me every now and then during the competition, Gold!" After Gold said that he would, the line went dead.

Hareta turned his head to see Dr. Kiyoshi and Ninetales standing next to a nearby planter, climbing to his feet and saying, "Ninetales! Dr. Kiyoshi!" As Gold and Kotone stood up, Hareta went over to the two, Sneasel jumping out of his arms and down onto the floor.

Dr. Kiyoshi spoke, "Hello, Hareta. It would appear both you and Sneasel are feeling rather energetic, just like you always are!" Hareta and Sneasel giggled at this; they then went over to Ninetales while Dr. Kiyoshi turned to Gold and Kotone, asking, "Checking in with your mother, Gold? Good for you; parents shouldn't have to be wondering how you're doing all the time."

Gold rubbed the back of his head as he said, "Yeah, mom and dad have both drilled that one into me. Remembering to do it just slips my mind sometimes. Say, did you see Jessie, James, or Meowth? We haven't seen them since earlier this morning."

Dr. Kiyoshi nodded, "Yes, Ammy and I saw them while we were on our way here, so we stopped to see how they were doing and let them know what was going on. Even though they got the job just yesterday, they seem to be fitting in with this news team job."

Kotone smiled, "Well, that's good to hear. They've been getting better since they started traveling with us, but maybe they've found their new niche."

Dr. K. said, "Perhaps. That would certainly be good for them. By the way, Gold and Hareta, you've finished registering for the competition, right?"

Gold nodded, "Yeah, we just took care of it. They gave us a guidebook for the area, plus we each got a key for our dorm rooms. Wanna go check 'em out with us?" Dr. Kiyoshi nodded that he would, and, after Pikachu hopped down from Gold's shoulder and climbed up onto the doctor's, the group walked through the building, Kotone leading the way while looking through the guidebook.

They soon found the stairs that led to the higher floors where Trainers were housed during the competition and started climbing. As they were climbing the stairs, Hareta asked, "How come we can't stay in the same room? We're all traveling together, after all."

Kotone looked back at him and said, "Yeah, that's true. But I don't think the dorms here are big enough to house a group as big as ours. Plus, since you guys are both competing, there's no way they'd let you two sleep in the same room, since they'd have no way of seeing if you two are sharing secrets or whatever. Not that you guys would, but they want to make sure all the same." Hareta mentally shrugged and scratched Sneasel, who was sitting on his shoulder, under her chin while Kotone turned to Gold and asked, "What floor is your room on, Gold?"

Gold glanced at his key, which had a plastic tag attached to the key chain, and said, "Third floor. We're almost there."

Hareta looked at his key and said, "Mine's on the third floor too." With that, they continued climbing the stairs, soon arriving at the third floor. They soon found that the two rooms were on opposite sides of the hall, several doors in between them. After checking both rooms out, Kotone quickly decided that she would stay in Gold's room while Ninetales would sleep in Hareta's. Dr. Kiyoshi decided to stay with Gold as well and, after leaving their things in the rooms and letting out some of their Pokémon, they decided to go walk around Silver Town for a bit.

As they stepped outside, they heard Jessie talking, "The screening for the competition may not be starting for a little while, but that doesn't matter! This is a great time to meet with some of the Trainers and interview them!" Walking down the steps, they found the trio filming along the side of the sidewalk. Hareta also noticed Koya and his Growlithe leaning against the wall on their side of the walk and ran over to talk to him. Noticing them and the rest of the group, Jessie was walking over to start the interviews when a familiar red-haired boy caught Gold's attention. Silver and Gold shared a look for a moment as everyone looked on, Silver breaking the eye contact as he continued walking. Jessie quickly caught up to him, reaching him before he passed Hareta and Koya and, while holding the microphone out to him, asked, "You're a competitor, aren't you? What are your thoughts on your upcoming matches? What Pokémon do you work best with? Inquiring minds would like to know!"

Silver huffed, "No comment." He then continued walking as Jessie glared at him.

Before he got out of hearing range, Koya spoke, "Not one for small talk, are you, Silver? I suppose a sullen thief like you would prefer it that way."

Silver abruptly stopped and turned around to face Koya, saying, "So what if you know that I took a Pokémon without asking? It ended up with a Trainer that it works well with, anyway." His eyes shifted from Koya to Hareta as he said the last sentence, noting that Hareta's Quilava had been talking to Koya's Growlithe just moments ago.

Koya replied, "True. But I have a feeling that's not the only theft you've made. I'm just warning you now to watch what you do if you want to stay in this conference."

Silver asked, "And what are you going to do if I don't? Tell an official?"

Koya smirked, "I'll do better than that." He pulled out his wallet and flipped it open, revealing an International Police badge. He then said, "I'll have you arrested on the spot."

Silver looked at the badge for a moment, surprised that the kid he was talking to was any kind of police officer, but then shut his eyes and said, "I see. I'll be sure to watch out for you while I'm here." He then turned around and started walking away, Koya turning around to look at Hareta as Gold, Kotone, Dr. Kiyoshi, Ninetales, and the other Pokémon came over.

Suddenly, Gold shouted, "Look out!" Koya's eyes glanced to his left as he pulled something out of his pocket. A second later, a cloud of dust was raised as a multicolored beam hit where the group was standing. The dust soon cleared, revealing that Koya had called out his Metagross, the Iron Leg Pokémon taking very little damage from the sudden Psybeam. The boy turned around to see Silver, who had called out his Alakazam, smirking at him. "Coward's tactic. You'll have to do better than that if you want to catch me by surprise," Koya called.

Silver called back, "Impressive. You are a skilled Trainer, Agent Koya, but I hope that's not the only thing you're good at." He then ordered a Confusion attack, Alakazam's eyes glowing red before it fired black waves of psychic energy towards Metagross, who easily dodged it. Koya then called for it to use Meteor Mash, Metagross retracting its legs and flying towards Alakazam, a silhouette of a meteor appearing around its hand as it swung it towards Alakazam, who was standing still and waiting.

Before the attack could hit, however, a large, crystallized barrier appeared between the two Pokémon, blocking the attack. Almost immediately after the attack was stopped, a loud Roar was heard on the street, sending both Metagross and Alakazam back to their Poké Balls. Turning in the direction the Roar had come from, everyone saw four figures standing on the lawn near the dorm building. Two were Lance and his Dragonite while one of the others was a girl with long, brown hair, a white summer hat that had a Poké Ball design on it, a light blue sleeveless top, a red skirt, long, light blue socks, white shoes with a red stripe going across the middle, and a light brown shoulder bag. The fourth figure was a Pokémon that was being recalled by the girl; before it was returned, it appeared to be a large, bulky, boar-like Pokémon that had a beard-like flame wreathing around its neck and shoulders.

Lance and his Dragonite came over, Lance asking, "What's going on here? Koya, Silver, don't the two of you know that if you're caught battling outside of the official matches, you could be disqualified?"

Koya replied, "I apologize, Lance. Attacking like that was not very professional of me, no matter what provoked it."

Lance nodded, "It's okay. Just don't let something like this happen during the rest of the competition. A security officer might not be as forgiving as I am. If your Pokémon need to do something in between matches, sparring is allowed."

Silver huffed, "Sparring? I prefer full-fledged battles; I don't do sparring."

The girl, who had come over by Silver at this point, said, "No, but you used to prefer that. You weren't really into serious battling back when we were little."

Silver glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, saying, "Yeah, and neither were you, Amanda."

As the two were talking, Gold said, "Who's she? She looks familiar somehow, but I don't know where I've seen her before."

Hareta shrugged, "I know I've never seen her. But it looks like she knows Silver."

Kotone nodded, "Yeah, it sure looks that way."

After a minute of idle chitchat, Silver turned and walked away, in the direction he'd been walking before. Lance watched him for a moment before saying, "I suppose I'll be going too. I've got a few things to take care of before the competition starts." As he was about to leave, he turned to the group and told everyone, "There are practice fields around the main stadium if anyone actually wants to do some practice before a match. And watch out for Amanda if she challenges you to a battle; she's a strong Trainer." He then turned and headed in the same direction as Silver, Koya following with his Growlithe shortly afterwards.

As Jessie turned back to the camera, which had caught all of the action, Amanda came over to the group and introduced herself, saying, "Hi there. Sorry if Silver was trying to be rough with anyone. I'm Amanda, as you might've heard."

Kotone replied, "No, it's no problem. I'm Kotone, by the way." Gold, Hareta, Dr. Kiyoshi, and their Pokémon introduced themselves as well.

Upon hearing both Gold and Hareta's names, Amanda said, "Oh, so you're the Gold and Hareta that Silver's mentioned. I've heard so much about you two."

Gold was about to ask what Silver had been telling her when Dr. Kiyoshi spoke up, "Forgive me for interrupting, but I believe the screening is going to begin soon. We should get going."

Amanda nodded, "That's true. You don't want to be late for something like that. We can talk later; I know a nice little place around here that we can meet up at later this evening."

Gold said, "Sounds good. Where is it?" After Amanda pointed it out in the guidebook, Gold asked, "So what time should we meet you there, Amanda?"

She replied, "How about around dinner time? Should be plenty of time for them to figure out who's going to be moving onto the semi-finals." Everyone agreed to that suggestion.

As everyone started walking, Hareta stopped for a second and turned back to Amanda, asking, "Hey Amanda, what was that Pokémon you had out? The one that sent both Metagross and Alakazam back to their Poké Balls." Amanda didn't get a chance to answer, since Kotone had come back and grabbed Hareta by his jacket, pulling him towards the doors leading into the large Pokémon Center, Amanda sweat dropping at this sudden motion.

**Later that night, following the completion of the screening**

Amanda, Gold, Kotone, Hareta, Empoleon, and Dr. Kiyoshi were all seated around a circular table outside of a small café while Pichu, Minun, Sneasel, and Eevee were playing nearby, Ninetales was seated next to the table, and Pikachu was standing on the table near Gold. "It's weird. Silver's never mentioned anything about you, Amanda," Gold was saying.

"Really? Knowing Silver these days, I'm sure he's got better things to talk about," Amanda replied.

Dr. Kiyoshi stood up, saying, "Excuse me a moment. I'm going to get something to drink. Does anyone want anything?" Everyone nodded, pulling out some money to chip in; Kotone stood up as well, deciding to help him carry everything back.

"He certainly is a nice doctor. And he doesn't have that usual complete confidence that most doctors have. I kind of like that," Amanda commented. She then turned her attention back to Gold, Pikachu, Hareta, and Empoleon and said, "I actually know Silver from back when we were kids. We went to the same school in Viridian City and had the same classes together."

Gold asked, "You knew each other back then? What was that like? Rough?"

Amanda suppressed a laugh and said, "No, Gold. Silver was a lot different back then. He was more soft-spoken and wasn't a fan of battling. He grew to get used to them over time, probably because of his father."

Hareta asked, "His father? You mean that Giovanni guy?"

Amanda looked at him, a bit surprised, and said, "Yeah, the former Viridian City Gym Leader. You know him?"

Hareta looked down and said, "Well, not exactly. I just… overheard it somewhere."

Amanda replied, "Ah, okay. Yes, his father's name is Giovanni, a former Gym Leader and the old boss of Team Rocket."

Gold said, "Yeah, I remember that Petrel guy was impersonating Giovanni, plus they were using the Radio Tower to try to get him to come back. Did he change Silver into the way he is now before he disappeared?"

Amanda sighed, "I wish I knew, Gold. I became a Trainer about the same time that Red, the former Indigo League Champion, started. So I wasn't around to see what happened to Silver, since I was traveling and occasionally running into Red. After the tournament, I went back to Viridian City to take a break from traveling and visit Silver. But he was different than what I remembered him to be. He was really angry about something and, when he saw me, he told me that when he became a Trainer, I'd better watch out for him. He left after saying that, taking only a few supplies with him. He did leave me his PokéGear number and email address, though. So we've been able to stay in contact, even if it's from a distance."

While the three of them were talking, Kotone and Dr. Kiyoshi were coming back outside, each carrying a small tray with drinks on it. As she was walking, Kotone accidentally bumped into someone and turned to them, saying, "Oops. Excuse me, I'm sorry. Huh?" She stopped when she realized the person was wearing a long coat that mostly covered them up; the only thing visible was the person's blue hair that curved upwards at the sides of their head.

The person stood there a moment before asking, in a slightly deep voice that indicated it was a male, "Are you friends with Hareta of Twinleaf Town?" Kotone nodded, the man pulling an envelope out of his coat and placing it on her tray, saying, "Give this to him for me." He then turned and walked out of the café, leaving both Kotone and Dr. Kiyoshi wondering what was going on.

Outside, meanwhile, Hareta asked Amanda, "So what do you and Silver talk about when you can reach him?"

Amanda replied, "Not so much about what we've been doing. He's the kind of guy who prefers to follow his own path. So we end up talking about Trainers we've run into recently. And at some point, he started talking about you two. A lot."

Gold asked, "'A lot?' What does that mean?"

Amanda answered, "Just that. He's been talking a lot about you two. I think that, since he started running into you two, he's been working really hard to get better, to defeat the both of you. In all of the Trainers he has told me about, I've never seen him focus on anyone like the two of you. That says something in itself, doesn't it?"

While Gold was quick to agree, Hareta simply muttered, "I guess. But even if I gave Silver some good battles, it's not him I'm looking forward to facing. I'm more interested in finishing my battle with Koya, no matter which way it goes."

Amanda nodded, "Well, that's important too. But remember, in a tournament, there's no telling who your next opponent might be. And when you're on that field, no matter who your opponent is, you've got to give it your all or it's an insult. Does that make sense?"

Hareta nodded and was about to ask again about the Pokémon she had earlier when he suddenly had his vision blocked by an envelope, surprising him. He got up off of his seat and backed away to see Kotone holding onto the envelope. She gave a nervous grin, "Sorry. But some guy in a coat with blue hair told me to give this to you."

Hareta took it, asking, "A guy with blue hair?" He opened the envelope and was shocked further when it suddenly blew up in his hands, covering his face in soot.

"How… unusual?" Amanda guessed, looking equally surprised.

"That's a weird fan letter," Gold commented.

Kotone handed Hareta a napkin to wipe his face with, saying, "That was a mean trick. I wonder who that guy was, to want to do something like this."

Dr. Kiyoshi spoke, "Perhaps that man is participating in this competition and is looking forward to facing Hareta during the tournament? That letter could've been a warning to watch out."

Hareta finished wiping the soot off of his face and set the napkin down, grinning, "Well, whoever it is has got my attention now! I'm all fired up for this tournament now! This guy wants to battle with me, I'll make sure to give him a battle that he won't forget!" Everyone at the table either smiled or chuckled at Hareta's sudden optimism.

**The following evening…**

Following a nice, relaxing day of spending time with all of their Pokémon, the group headed for the main stadium for the torch lighting ceremony. Kotone, Dr. Kiyoshi, Amanda, and Ninetales sat up in the stands while Jessie, James, and Meowth were covering the worldwide broadcast of the event. The broadcast was being watched by many people, including Hareta's parents, Jun, Mitsumi, Minami, Natsuya, the Sinnoh Gym Leaders, and the Johto Gym Leaders. The runner soon arrived at the base of the central torch and lit it with the flame of Ho-Oh.

Down on the battlefield below, the remaining 48 Trainers were all standing, their gazes directed towards the flame as the opening ceremony continued. Among the gathered Trainers were Hareta (with his Misdreavus hovering above his right shoulder, Sneasel sitting on his left shoulder, and Empoleon next to him), Gold (with his Bayleef by his side and Pikachu on his shoulder), Koya and his Growlithe, Silver, and Lance. While the talking was going on, Hareta was trying to spot the man who had sent him the envelope, but he couldn't find him among the people near him.

Soon, the opening speech was finished and the crowd cheered, all of the Trainers giving the flame one final gaze and wishing themselves luck. The Silver Conference was now beginning, and they were going to need all the luck they could get if any one of them hoped to come out on top.

In one of the entry passages to the stands, a boy looking to be in his early teens was observing the whole ceremony. He was wearing black shoes with a red stripe across the middle, light blue jeans, a red jacket over a black T-shirt with a white line going up the sides of the zipper and a white collar, black wristbands, and a red hat over his brown hair that had a white brim and the upper half of a Poké Ball on it. He also had a light brown backpack on and what appeared to be a Pikachu on his shoulder. His hat was tipped downwards, making it hard to see his face, but it appeared he was very interested in seeing how the competition would play out…

* * *

Yeah, I know there's not a lot of action here. It'll pick up somewhat when the competition starts next chapter. Just don't expect to see many chapters from here on out that are as serious as the more recent ones. I'll try to make them serious, but I want to try to make them a little more light-hearted as well.

So... chapter notes. The competition is going to play out similarly to how it does in the anime, but it's also going to have a few differences.

Amanda is based on the female player character from FireRed and LeafGreen. Her name comes from one of the available names players could give her. The Pokémon she had was Enbuoh, the Japanese name for the final evolution for Tepig/Pokabu. Part of the reason Hareta doesn't learn about it is because its English name hasn't been revealed yet. I don't want to forget to change it when I learn what it is and confuse people.

I hope everyone liked this chapter and will continue to read! Feel free to send a review if you want!


	47. Clashing Metals

"Hold onto your seats, folks, as this intense battle is coming to its end! Hareta's Quilava and Sneasel have already been knocked out, as have Rich Boy Quint's Metang and Kadabra! Hareta already has one point from tying with Cooltrainer Trilo in the first match, as does Quint after a hard-fought battle yesterday, so this battle is all the more important for both Trainers!" the announcer for the matches exclaimed. Up in the seats, Gold, Kotone, Dr. Kiyoshi, Ninetales, and Amanda were sitting expectantly in their seats, watching carefully. With Gold having managed to narrowly earn two victories during his matches, they were all waiting to see Hareta make it to the finals as well.

Both Hareta and Quint sent out their last Pokémon, Hareta sending out Luxray while Quint called for his Grumpig. Quint led off by calling for a Power Gem attack, Grumpig bringing its hands together and gathering energy between them. A glowing orange ball formed between them, getting dramatically bigger when it raised it up. It then threw the ball towards Luxray, who was tensed up as he used Charge to gather energy for an Electric attack. Before the Power Gem hit, Hareta called for a Thunder attack, Luxray quickly charging up electricity and launching it at the Power Gem.

Although Grumpig's attack was powerful, the charged-up Thunder held it at bay for a moment before easily cutting through it, making it explode, and continuing on to strike Grumpig. The powerful attack electrocuted the Manipulate Pokémon for several moments before letting up. As it attempted to regain its composure, it became clear that the Thunder attack wasn't just powerful; it had also paralyzed Grumpig. Worried now, Quint ordered Grumpig to use Bounce to get airborne and use Psychic. Grumpig managed to use Bounce, but due to the paralysis, it was unable to focus enough to use Psychic while it was up. Taking this chance, Hareta called for a Discharge attack, Luxray unleashing multiple bolts of blue lightning that struck Grumpig after it landed. That was it for Grumpig, as it wobbled for a moment before falling down with swirls in its eyes, defeated.

The judge held up the green flag and said, "Grumpig is unable to continue! The battle and the match go to the green Trainer, Hareta!" The crowd began to go wild with cheers, Hareta's friends cheering especially hard while Hareta ran over to Luxray and hugged him, thanking him and complimenting him for battling so hard while Luxray snuggled him back.

The announcer spoke over the cheers, "And that settles another round robin! The final scores are: Hareta, 4 points, Trilo, 2 points, and Quint, 1 point! So Hareta will be moving on to join the other winners for the final tournament!" Before Hareta and Luxray left, Hareta shook hands with Quint, who said that he was wrong in guessing that he was stronger than him.

Up in the stands, Jessie, James, and Meowth had also been watching the match, catching it on camera. As Hareta and Luxray left to head to the Pokémon Center, Jessie commented, "Looks like Hareta and Gold are doing well so far. Both of them have managed to join the other sixteen Trainers competing in the final tournament!"

Meowth piped up, "Dat's true, Jess, but they're still a long way away from the top. Dey gotta beat all those other Trainers to make it to da final round!"

James said, "If they do that, then they'll have to face each other to determine the champion. Do you think it will come to that?"

Jessie glared at both of them, "Oh, will you two stop ruining the moment? I'm trying to praise them and you two are trying to shoot me down!" She then calmed down somewhat and said, "We have no idea how the tournament is going to turn out, but that doesn't matter now. What matters is getting good footage of all the battles along the way!" Wobbuffet suddenly popped out of his Poké Ball and shouted his name in agreement.

A short while later, Gold, Kotone, Dr. Kiyoshi, Ninetales, and Amanda met up with Hareta in the lobby of the Pokémon Center. As they were chatting, Hareta asked, "So what happens next?"

Kotone pulled out the guidebook and, after flipping through a few pages, said, "Let's see... It says here that the sixteen Trainers who advance to the finals are randomly placed on a tournament bracket. The battles are done in a three-on-three format, though you have to register your team before your match begins. This goes on until a winner has been determined, with half of the remaining Trainers being eliminated each day. Tomorrow is a 'no battling' day so they can prepare the main stadium for the tournament and give everyone a chance to think about their first matches."

Amanda leaned back and said, "And all of those matches are going to be sudden death matches. You lose here and you're out of the competition. Kind of different compared to what you had back in Sinnoh, eh Hareta?"

Hareta smiled, "Not really. It's basically the same thing, just with a bunch of additional stuff before the real battling begins."

Suddenly, Nurse Joy announced, "May I have your attention, please? The tournament bracket for the first round has been decided on. If you're competing in the finals, please be sure to check to see when your first round match will be and who you will be facing." Along with the other Trainers, the group shuffled over to the main desk to check the layout for the tournament.

As they were looking it over, Kotone said, "Look, Hareta! You're down in the lower left corner! Looks like it'll be an early afternoon match!"

Amanda said, "Lance made it to the first round too! He's up there in the upper right corner!"

Hareta pointed, "Koya's there too! His battle is the second to last!"

As he was scanning, Dr. Kiyoshi spotted one of the competitors and turned to Hareta, asking, "Say, Hareta? That man whose battle is after yours... does he-"

He was cut off when Gold suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, no way!" Everyone looked at him and then turned to where he was looking. They quickly understood what had made him shout; Gold's battle would be taking place first, and it was with none other than Silver!

Upon hearing footsteps next to them, everyone turned to see Silver had just walked up and was staring at the bracket. He glanced to the side and caught Gold's eye for a minute before breaking eye contact and walking away. "What's with him...?" Gold wondered out loud. Hareta looked to his side, noticing Koya sitting in a nearby seat with his Absol and Growlithe out. The blonde-haired Trainer had been watching the brief exchange and, when he noticed Hareta looking at him, shrugged. Hareta hummed in thought, also wondering.

**The following day...**

Gold dashed out of the Pokémon Center with Bayleef, Pidgeot, Elekid, Pikachu, Beedrill, and Gible in tow. Hareta, Minun, Sneasel, Grovyle, Quilava, Kotone, Croconaw, Togekiss, Eevee, Amanda, Ninetales, and Dr. Kiyoshi were already outside, sitting on the front steps, enjoying the early morning sun. Gold stopped a short distance in front of the Center and turned to his Pokémon, saying, "The final tournament begins tomorrow, guys! And since we're going up against Silver first, we've gotta be ready! What do you say to doing some practice now?" All of his Pokémon gave an affirmative cry at this.

Kotone called, "Hey Gold, I know you're excited about tomorrow, but slow down a little, okay? You must've eaten a lot at breakfast to take this long getting out. It wouldn't be good for your training if your stomach decided to cramp up part of the way!"

Gold called back, "Relax, Kotone! I'll be taking it slow, so there's no way that'll happen!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice called, "Heeeeeeeeeeeey!" Everyone looked down the sidewalk, Hareta's eyes lighting up when he saw who it was: Mitsumi and Jun! Jun was wearing a familiar orange and white striped shirt, new brownish-gray pants, brown shoes, his green scarf, brown satchel, and a brand new Pokétch that was slimmer than his old one. Mitsumi, meanwhile, was wearing a new red mini dress with long sleeves, pink boots, long white socks, a white scarf with both ends in front of her, a white beanie with a Poké Ball design on it, a white bag hanging around her shoulder, and a pink Pokétch similar to Jun's. It also appeared that her green ponytail was an inch or two longer.

Hareta cradled Sneasel, who had been sitting on his knee, as he stood up and ran over to meet them, saying, "Jun! Mitsumi!" as he stood up. They met a short ways past Gold along the sidewalk, Hareta saying, "You guys made it!"

Jun grinned, "Of course! Better late than never, right? Good to see you again, buddy!"

Hareta looked at Mitsumi's new outfit and said, "That outfit looks like it's warm, Mitsumi! Looks good, too!"

Mitsumi nodded, "Thank you, Hareta. My old outfit got a bit torn up during a scuffle two months ago. So I figured it was time to try a new style." She then noticed the Sneasel in his arms and asked, "Oh, is that Sneasel yours?"

Hareta nodded, "Yep! We met about three months ago. She's still a little shy, though, so don't scare her."

Jun asked, "A shy Sneasel? That sound a little unusual for one of their kind." He then turned to see Gold, Kotone, Ninetales, Amanda, and Dr. Kiyoshi approaching and called, "Hey, Gold, Kotone! How have you two been?"

Kotone smiled, "Not too bad. Sounds like it's been about the same for you two."

Mitsumi nodded, then noticed Amanda standing amongst the group. "Hmm... Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" she asked.

Amanda thought a moment before saying, "I think I remember you too. Were you ever in the Kanto region?"

Mitsumi thought a moment before snapping her fingers, "That's it! Now I remember! You're... Amanda, right? I sometimes saw you around Professor Oak's lab."

While Amanda and Mitsumi were talking, Hareta turned to Jun and asked, "Hey Jun, is that a new shirt? It looks... I don't know, different somehow."

Jun glanced down at his shirt for a second before saying, "Yeah, it is a little different from what I usually wear. I couldn't do this with my old shirt, for instance." He then brought his right hand up and gripped the left sleeve with it. He then unfurled it and gave it a yank, revealing the rest of the sleeve before doing the same with the right sleeve. He then said, "Long sleeves that are easy to fold up. Pretty handy, huh?" Hareta nodded in agreement. Jun then noticed that Ninetales had come up beside Hareta and was pressing against his side, prompting him to ask, "A Ninetales? Is that yours, Hareta?"

The boy set Sneasel down on Ninetales' back before kneeling down next to her and petting her, saying, "No, she's not mine or anyone else's. She's good friends with Dr. Kiyoshi, and it doesn't hurt that we're pretty close." Ninetales couldn't help but inwardly giggle to herself at that remark.

Mitsumi turned to Dr. Kiyoshi and said, "Oh! I'm so sorry, sir! I guess we all got caught up in reunions..."

Dr. Kiyoshi smiled, "It's no trouble at all, my dear. I suppose it's about time I introduced myself anyway. I am Doctor Kiyoshi Masao, a traveling Pokémon doctor. Currently, I'm also pursuing treatment for humans, since I want to be able to help others no matter what species they are!"

All of a sudden, they heard another familiar voice saying, "This way, professor! They're over here!" Everyone turned to look, seeing Hareta's parents, Kaisei's Plusle, and Professor Rowan running towards them.

Hareta's mother reached the group first, slowing down when she was a few feet from her son before suddenly embracing him, whispering, "My boy... My precious little boy..." Everybody was taken aback at this sudden display, wondering what was wrong.

Kaisei, Plusle, and Professor Rowan soon reached the group, Kaisei coming over to Johanna and Hareta saying, "Jo, it's okay. We saw him on the TV. Hareta's fine, like we knew he was." But after a moment, he embraced both of them, tears at the edge of both his and Johanna's eyes.

After both parents had released Hareta from the embrace, he stepped back and asked, "Mom? Dad? What's wrong? I've never seen you ready to cry before..."

Johanna sighed, "I'm sorry if we took you by surprise, Hareta. But something happened a few months ago that made us think we would never see you again." A few members of the group let out a light gasp at this, wondering what had happened.

Seeing their faces, Kaisei spoke, "I'll tell you what happened..."

_**Flashback: two months ago, Twinleaf Town**_

_Kaisei walked into the living room, carrying a candle. Since the police report had been issued, they had been keeping the lights off and instead relying on the light from candles to see in the house. He came over to the couch and set the candle down on the nearby end table, sitting down close to the chair that Johanna was sitting in. He laid a hand on her shoulder, asking, "You feeling okay, Jo?"_

_Johanna nodded as she rubbed over Kaisei's Plusle, "Yes, I feel okay. It's just... this darkness feels as though it's something more than a natural occurrence. And... well..."_

_Kaisei asked, "There's something else?"_

_Johanna, after a moment, sighed, "I can't shake this feeling that, somewhere out there, Hareta might be in trouble. That he could be in danger somehow."_

_Kaisei replied, "I'm worried too. This darkness seems to be drawing up fears in people and Pokémon, not to mention anxiety. But I'm sure Hareta is okay. And I know we'll see him again." Johanna nodded, resting a hand on Kaisei's. But the moment was ruined when they heard a rattling coming from somewhere in the room._

_Their attention was soon directed towards a set of shelves in the living room, upon which sat several framed photographs. One of the pictures seemed to be moving in place, explaining the rattling they were hearing, when it suddenly fell off of the shelf without warning. Kaisei, Johanna, and Plusle gasped when it hit the ground, the rattling being replaced by the sound of glass breaking. Kaisei stood up and grabbed a candle, walking over to where the picture had landed. Picking it up, he looked at the picture and saw that it was one of the family pictures, showing him, Johanna, Hareta, Empoleon, Plusle, and Minun. But it wasn't the broken frame that he was worried about._

_Still holding the picture, he came back over to Johanna and set it and the candle down, looking at his wife with tears beginning to form in his eyes. Even though he couldn't say it, Johanna could see what he was trying to tell her. She got up silently, the couple embracing with Plusle clinging onto Kaisei's arm, both fearing that their son would soon be leaving this world._

**End flashback**

"I don't know how to describe it, but when I saw that the picture had been scratched by the broken glass, it gave me a really bad feeling. Especially since it had specifically scratched over you," Kaisei concluded. Even though they hadn't experienced it before, everyone could kind of see why he and Johanna were worried.

Hareta glanced down at the ground as he muttered, "Faust..."

Professor Rowan asked, "What did you say, Hareta?"

Hareta glanced up and said, "Hmm? Oh, it's nothing. Not anymore, I think." He then turned to his parents and asked, "Do you still have that picture?" Kaisei reached into his vest and pulled a 10x13 photo out, handing it to Hareta. The boy looked it over a moment before saying, "Are you sure it got scratched? I don't see anything."

Johanna took it and looked at it closely, saying, "He's right. I don't see it anymore."

Kaisei smiled, "Maybe that's its way of saying that Hareta is going to be fine."

Johanna smiled as well, "I'll have to pick up a new frame for it while we're here." She then handed it back to Kaisei, who slipped it back inside of his vest.

Afterwards, Gold looked to his side to see Bayleef nudging him while pointing a vine towards the practice fields. He then remembered what he was planning to do and said, "Oh yeah. Thanks, Bayleef!" He began to jog with his Pokémon in that direction, calling back, "See you all later! I've got to do a little training before my battle tomorrow!"

As he watched Gold, Hareta said, "A little training couldn't hurt us either. What do you guys think?" Minun, Sneasel, Grovyle, and Quilava quickly agreed with the idea, so they all took off after Gold to do some practicing of their own.

Mitsumi sighed, "Well, he's as sudden as ever, I see."

Kotone glanced over at Mitsumi and said, "Not all the time, Mitzi. Still, he does have his moments!"

The sound of talking caught everyone's attention, everyone turning to see Jessie, James, and Meowth interviewing a Trainer. Seeing them, Jun asked, "Hey, aren't those the guys that were causing trouble while they were in Sinnoh?"

Mitsumi was about to go over and have a word with them when Amanda blocked her with an arm and said, "Relax, Mitsumi. I thought they were still being troublesome when I first saw them too, but it seems they've changed for the better. They've been traveling with Gold and his friends for the past two months and they seem to be getting over being criminals."

Kotone added, "Right, no need to worry! Today's the only day that Silver Town will be quiet like this, so we might as well enjoy it!" Kaisei was quick to agree with that, so, although Mitsumi still seemed a bit suspicious, everyone split up to do what they wanted. Kotone, Mitsumi, and Jun headed over to the practice fields to watch Gold and Hareta's training for a bit, Amanda and Professor Rowan went to go catch up on old times, and Kaisei, Plusle, Johanna, Dr. Kiyoshi, and Ninetales spent some time walking around.

**Mid-morning the next day...**

The main stadium was filled almost to capacity, the crowd cheering as the first of the first round matches was about to begin. Gold, although nervous about battling in front of a huge crowd, kept a calm composure as he walked onto the field, taking his place in the green Trainer's box. Silver was already waiting on the opposite side, standing in the middle of the red Trainer's box with his right hand in his pocket and his eyes closed. He opened them after a moment to look over at Gold, focusing on the battle.

Up in the stands, Hareta, Kotone, Mitsumi, Jun, Kaisei, Johanna, Professor Rowan, Amanda, Dr. Kiyoshi, Plusle, Minun, and Ninetales were sitting in the first two rows, close to Gold's side of the field. As they were listening to the announcer going over the rules one more time, someone suddenly tapped Hareta on the shoulder and he turned to look to see who it was. Upon seeing who it was, he gasped in surprise, "Cynthia?"

Everyone turned to face the blonde Sinnoh champion, who smiled and said, "Hello, everyone. I heard about the tournament and decided to come see it for myself. Do you mind if I sit with you?" Nobody objected to her request, Hareta, Kotone, Mitsumi, and Jun moving over a seat, allowing her to sit next to Hareta. As she settled into her seat, she asked Hareta, "That's your friend down there, isn't it? Flint told me about him. I believe his name is Gold?"

Hareta nodded, "Yeah, that's him all right. It's a little surprising that he's going up against Silver already, but I know he can win!"

Jun called over to Hareta, "Let's hope so. I'm not saying I don't think you're right, Hareta, but I haven't really seen Gold battle before, and Silver did manage to tie with you that one time. Just saying."

Kotone turned to him and said, "Silver just got the better end of things that time. You should've seen how the rematch turned out! Besides, the results of that battle were good not just for Hareta, but the rest of the world as well." A few people looked at her questioningly, but she just turned her attention back to the field. They continued looking at her a moment before leaving the matter alone and looking towards the field, the battle about to start.

As the announcer finished talking, Gold called over to Silver, "I hope you're ready for this, Silver! There's only going to be one winner here, and I think we both know who that is!"

Silver looked back at Gold, amused, and simply said, "I'll admit I didn't think you'd get this far, but that's as far you're going to get. You might think you've got what it takes to be a champion, but I'm going to crush you now!" With the announcements finished and the judge allowing the battle to begin, Silver sent out his first Pokémon, the red Gyarados!

Seeing this, Gold brought out his Poké Ball, tossing it up once before throwing it, revealing his Elekid! Silver started off by calling for an Aqua Tail, a stream of water beginning to spiral around the Atrocious Pokémon's tail. Gold called for a ThunderPunch to counter the attack, but it wasn't strong enough, as Gyarados pushed right through it and hit Elekid into the ground. Silver then called for a Hydro Pump, Gyarados charging up a stream of water that almost looked powerful enough to flatten anything it hit. Gold countered the attack by calling for a Light Screen, a light blue wall forming in front of Elekid and deflecting some of the force from the Hydro Pump away from it.

After the attack stopped, Elekid leapt out of the crater it had created and began to whirl its arms around, charging up electricity. Seeing this, Gold called for a Thunderbolt, causing Elekid to leap up and release its electricity towards Gyarados. Silver quickly but calmly called for a Dragon Dance, Gyarados letting out a roar as it seemed to glow. It then quickly slithered out of the way of the Thunderbolt, the attack charring part of the grass field brown. Gold growled at this while Silver ordered Gyarados to use Hyper Beam. Before the attack could get fully charged, Gold retaliated by calling for a Screech attack, Elekid releasing a cry that seemed to distort the air and made Gyarados lose its focus, the energy in its mouth dissipating.

Shaking the ringing out of his ears somewhat, Gold then called for Elekid to use Swift. The Electric Pokémon was quick to respond, stars gathering in its mouth that were fired at Gyarados, hitting it dead-on. Angered, Gyarados attempted to go in for a Bite attack, only to be stopped by a sudden Shock Wave, causing it to reel back. Elekid then began to charge up for a Thunder attack before leaping away when Gyarados seemingly came in to use Bite again. But that wasn't its real intention; while Elekid was up in the air, Gyarados used Twister to lift it up higher. While Elekid was immobilized by the attack, Silver ordered a Hydro Pump, the attack striking Elekid directly this time, slamming it into the wall on Gold's side. It stayed there for a moment before falling to the ground, defeated. Seeing this, the judge called, "Elekid is unable to battle! Gyarados is the winner!"

Gold recalled Elekid, thanking it for fighting so hard. He then looked back at Gyarados and decided it was time to take a chance. Grabbing another Poké Ball, he threw it, shouting, "Go, Hitmontop!" The Handstand Pokémon soon appeared, balancing on the top of its head as it got ready to battle.

Up in the crowd, Mitsumi said, "Hey, I didn't know Gold had a Hitmontop on his team!"

Kotone turned to her and said, "I'm not surprised you didn't. Tyrogue evolved a few weeks ago. We ran into a little trouble while traveling, and Tyrogue ended up evolving while we were dealing with it." She then turned back to the field and said, "I hope Gold's got something in mind, considering what Hitmontop's up against."

Down on the field, Silver called for a Twister attack, although it was easily avoided when Gold called for a Rapid Spin. While Hitmontop was still spinning, he used a Rolling Kick along the side of Gyarados, though it didn't really faze the Atrocious Pokémon due to it being part Flying-type. Once he had stopped, Silver ordered an Ice Fang attack, Gyarados' fangs glowing light blue as it launched two bolt-like beams of energy at Hitmontop. Gold called for Hitmontop to use Agility, the Handstand Pokémon flipping over and spinning around the field, cutting through the grass as he went. Growling, Silver called for an Aqua Tail attack, prompting Gold to order a Counter attack. After stopping, an orange outline formed around Hitmontop, which sent the Aqua Tail right back at Gyarados. Gold then finished by calling for a Quick Attack, Hitmontop ramming the point on its head into Gyarados' upper body, sending it down for the count! The judge called, "Gyarados has been defeated! The battle goes to Hitmontop!"

Silver recalled Gyarados and, after returning its Poké Ball, sent out his next Pokémon, Sneasel! Both sides started off by using Agility, Hitmontop spinning around the field while Sneasel ran at high speed, both appearing as blurs in the grass. Eventually, Gold called for a Rolling Kick, Hitmontop spinning towards Sneasel while it responded with Fury Swipes, kicks and slashes being exchanged at a fast pace. When they stopped, they glared at each other a moment before Sneasel suddenly pointed off to the side somewhere. When Hitmontop looked where it was pointing, Sneasel slashed him with a Faint Attack.

After Hitmontop regained his composure after being hit by the Faint Attack, Sneasel attacked him with a combination of Ice Shard and Slash attacks. Hitmontop was beginning to look tired, prompting Silver to call for another Slash attack. Hitmontop managed to avoid, however, and Gold called for him to use Endeavor, Hitmontop striking Sneasel and considerably weakening it. While it was reeling from this unexpected hit, Hitmontop struck again, this time with Close Combat! Sneasel's double weakness to Fighting-type made the move extremely effective, causing Sneasel to faint after the barrage of hits ended. The judge called, "Sneasel is unable to battle! Hitmontop is the winner!"

As the crowd cheered, Silver recalled Sneasel and smiled to himself, knowing Hitmontop would stand no chance against his last Pokémon. He then revealed his last Pokémon to be his Gengar, the Ghost and Poison-type casting its usual grin down at Hitmontop, unnerving him. Gold was unfazed, though, and called for a Gyro Ball. Snapping out of his worried state, Hitmontop flipped over and went into a high speed spin towards Gengar. Unfortunately, Gengar was faster, even with the Agility that Hitmontop used earlier, and easily floated out of the way. While Hitmontop attempted to stop, Silver called for a Shadow Punch, Gengar raising an arm, followed by purple sparks traveling up it until they were around the fist. As Hitmontop turned to face it, Gengar punched the air and sent a black fist with purple static electricity around it at him.

The punch hit hard, raising a cloud of dust as it slammed into Hitmontop and sent him flying back. He was still standing up, though, so Gold called for him to use Pursuit, Hitmontop spinning in place as waves of transparent crescent-shaped energy formed around the point on his head. These waves soon shot towards Gengar, who was still floating in the air and easily danced around the waves. Silver then quickly called for a Confuse Ray, Gengar's eyes glowing red and making Hitmontop feel disoriented as he tried to maintain his balance. While he was teetering, Silver ordered a Shadow Ball, Gengar forming a black ball of energy and hitting Hitmontop dead-on with it. Once again, Hitmontop was sent flying, this time landing with swirls in his eyes, unable to get up. The judge called, "Hitmontop is out of the match! Gengar is the winner!"

Gold was shocked at how easily Hitmontop was taken down, the crowd cheering its approval of Gengar's strength. Recalling Hitmontop, Gold thought about the Pokémon Silver was using before making his choice, sending out his Gible to battle. Silver led off by calling for a Lick attack, Gengar opening its mouth and extending its long tongue across the field towards Gible. Gold shouted, "Gible, get out of the way!" The words seemingly didn't register with Gible, since it just stood there, looking at the approaching tongue. It seemed to Silver that Gold hadn't trained Gible, so he told Gengar to put as much power as it could behind the Lick attack.

As the tongue was about to come into contact with Gible, it suddenly opened its mouth and clamped down on it! This sudden action stunned Gengar for a second before it retracted its tongue somewhat and began to shake it around, trying to get Gible to let go. Gible's grip was too strong; it just wouldn't let go of the tongue. Silver tried to call for a different attack, but Gengar was far too preoccupied with Gible biting down on its tongue to pay attention, running around in circles and shaking its tongue. Eventually, Gible let go and, while it was airborne, Gold called for a Dragon Rush. A light blue Aura surrounded Gible as it came shooting down through the air like a miniature comet, slamming into Gengar who had stopped running long enough to see Gible heading towards it. The attack hit hard, sending Gengar flopping back a bit.

Growling, Silver ordered Gengar to use Hypnosis, the Gas Pokémon facing Gible and waving its arms in hypnotic patterns. Seeing this, Gold called for Gible to use Dig, the Land Shark Pokémon quickly diving towards the ground and creating a hole, disappearing underground. After a moment, Silver noticed that Gible's head fin was sticking out of the ground and called for a Night Shade attack, Gengar firing a black beam outlined in purple at it, hitting the ground directly in front of Gible and blowing it back up to the surface.

Seeing an opening, Silver called for a Dark Pulse attack, Gengar bringing its hands together and forming a ball of dark circles between them. It then held the ball out towards Gible and fired it as a beam of black and purple circles. Seeing there was no chance for Gible to evade the attack, Gold called for a Dragon Pulse attack, Gible opening its mouth, causing a ball of turquoise energy to form in front of it. It managed to fire it before the Dark Pulse hit it, disrupting the beam and giving Gible time to land to avoid the bits of the attack that remained on course.

A quick look around the field revealed, however, that Gengar had seemingly disappeared. All of a sudden, a Night Shade was fired by the hidden Ghost and Poison-type, catching both Gible and Gold off guard. Gengar continued to stay hidden and launch more Ghost-type attacks, attacking from a different angle every time. Up in the crowd, Kaisei mumbled, as he shoved the contents of his fifteenth bag of popcorn into his mouth, "That Silver is fighting really hard now! There's gotta be something Gold and Gible can do to draw that Gengar out of hiding!"

Mitsumi turned around and said, "I'm sure they'll think of something. Now will you slow down with your eating already? You're getting popcorn butter in my hair!" She then turned back around and noticed that Hareta, while he was going through his bag of popcorn quickly as well, he wasn't going quite as fast as his father.

When his mouth was clear, Hareta said, "Draco Meteor would probably be a good move to find Gengar with, but Gible would need time to charge up enough energy. What else can they do, though?"

Cynthia spoke, "It wouldn't take much power to get Gengar to reveal itself; if they were to hit it with a weak attack, that would be enough to reveal it. They'll have to figure something out fast or Gengar will be able to attack Gible at its leisure."

Down on the field, Gold muttered, "Gengar's hiding somewhere out there... But how can we fight back when we don't have any idea where it is...?" A thought then crossed his mind and he called for Gible to use Sandstorm, the Land Shark Pokémon jumping out of the way of a Shadow Ball and then waving an arm to kick up sand, followed by the other to create the sandstorm. The sand whipped around the stadium, eventually revealing Gengar, who was trying to shield its eyes. After flipping his goggles on, Gold called for Gible to use Draco Meteor, its body glowing orange as it charged up an orange ball of light in its body. It then opened its mouth wide, firing the orb straight up through the sandstorm, which was beginning to die down.

As the field cleared, the orb reached the height of its flight and exploded, releasing multiple smaller spheres that were aimed for Gengar. It didn't recover in time to escape and found itself on the receiving end of the attack, an explosion occurring after the last sphere struck. When the smoke cleared, Gengar was lying on the ground, unconscious. The judge called, "Gengar is unable to continue! Gold and Gible are the winners!"

While Gold ran over to Gible and hugged it and the crowd cheered loudly, Silver muttered, "I lost again... Why? This should have been perfect! What Gold possesses and what I lack... I think I'm beginning to understand now..." He then recalled his Gengar and left the stadium without another word.

Up in the crowds, the entire group was cheering and clapping along with the crowd while Minun and Plusle were waving their electric pompoms and dancing in celebration. While everyone else was talking, Hareta smiled, "I knew Gold would be able to do it. Soon, it's gonna be my turn!"

**Later that evening...**

By the end of the day, the first round was finished and Hareta, Lance, and Koya were all advancing to the second round as well. Because of the exciting day everyone had, they decided to go to a pizza parlor Kotone had found the previous day, ordering an extra large pizza with lots of toppings. As they were finishing up, Gold received a text message on his PokéGear saying that the second round bracket was all set up. Hearing this, Hareta, Empoleon, Minun, Gold, Bayleef, and Pikachu got up and headed for the Pokémon Center to see who their next opponents would be, everyone else getting up and following after the rest of the pizza was finished.

Upon arriving at the Pokémon Center's lobby, Gold was quick to find out that his opponent would be a Camper named Sid. Hearing this, Hareta glanced up at the board, saying, "I wonder who my opponent is..."

Before he could find out, a man behind him spoke, "I am your next opponent, Hareta." Hareta, Gold, and their Pokémon turned around to see the same man Kotone had run into on the first day, still wearing his long coat. After a moment, he whipped it off, revealing his true identity.

Hareta gasped, "Saturn?"

* * *

The Trainers Quint and Trilo are both Trainers from Pokémon Colosseum's Mt. Battle, Quint's Pokémon being the same as his in-game team. Camper Sid is the name of one of the Campers that can be found in HeartGold and SoulSilver.

I changed the final round from having six-on-six battles to three-on-three battles for a few reasons. First of all, it fits better with the fact that the Sinnoh tournament in "Pokémon DPA!" has the same rules. Also, after writing the two battles between Hareta and Silver, I believe that writing a battle that long doesn't just get repetitive, but it also takes a long time to write. Just look how long this chapter turned out.

Both Jun and Mitsumi's new outfits match the ones worn by their game counterparts in Platinum, although Mitsumi still doesn't have any hair barettes.

Music:

End of the Semi-Finals - Gateway Colosseum (Pokémon Battle Revolution)

At the Pokémon Center - Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Menu (Pokémon Battle Revolution)

Reunion - School Theme (Snowboard Kids 2)

Flashback - Midage (Shadow of Destiny/Memories)

Free Day - Route 206 (Pokémon DPPt)

Exchange - Rival Challenge Theme (Pokémon Stadium 2)

The League Battle Between Rivals - Rival Battle (Pokémon Stadium 2 )

Gible vs. Gengar - Kanto Gym Leader Battle (Pokémon Stadium 2)

Winner! - Victory Theme (Pokémon Stadium 2)

Next Round - Reception Desk (Pokémon Battle Revolution)

Mystery Man Revealed - The Under (Pokémon Colosseum)


	48. Galactic Battle

**Silver Town Pokémon Center**

As Gold and Hareta looked at the blue haired man standing across from them, Gold asked, "Saturn...?" He then remembered what he had heard from Hareta and turned to him, asking, "Hey, is this the same Saturn guy that you said had a grudge against you?"

Saturn spoke, "That's right, boy. And that's exactly why I'm here." He then pointed at Hareta and said, "I qualified for this competition so I could finally settle things with you, Hareta."

Hareta asked, "Saturn, are you still mad about what happened at Lake Valor? Look, I'm sorry that you got washed up in a tidal wave and almost got fired for not defeating me, but the way you were treating your Gallade and all of the Magikarp just so you could help Cyrus' plan succeed really made me mad. Someone needed to show you what trying to rule through fear eventually gets you: sooner or later, the ones you're trying to rule over are gonna rise up and do what they can to bring you down!"

Saturn muttered to himself, "Same old Hareta, just as I was expecting." He then said to the boy, "I've let that incident go, Hareta. I let it go during the battle we all shared with Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina the last time I saw you. What I want from you is a real battle, one where you don't suddenly come out of nowhere and take victory away from me under a wave of water from a Hydro Pump or Surf attack. I'm not going to let this matter rest until I get that."

Before either of the boys could say anything, the front doors slid open and the rest of their companions walked inside. Mitsumi was saying, "Jun, it's not a date! We weren't the only ones there and we already pitched in to pay for the pizza at the register so..." She stopped in mid-sentence as she noticed who had been talking to Hareta and Gold and was now looking at her, exclaiming, "Saturn? What are you doing here?"

Saturn calmly replied, "Hello again, Mitsumi. I should've figured you'd come out to see your little," his eyes shifted in Hareta's direction, then back to Mitsumi as he finished, "shall we say, boy toy compete."

Jun yelled, "What's that supposed to mean? And she asked you a question: what are you doing here?" Saturn answered by jerking a thumb in the direction of the tournament bracket, everyone quickly figuring out that Hareta's next match was against the former commander. Seeing this, Jun said, "Oh, I get it now! You still want revenge against Hareta, don't you?"

Saturn replied, "No. I want a real battle against him. One where he can't make one of his random battle-winning miracles happen. And that's the truth." He then began to walk towards the group, heading for the door. Although everyone else seemed to be willing to stand aside, both Jun and Mitsumi still stood in his way. He said, "Please, if I wanted to do something to Hareta, I would've done it long ago. Now stand aside."

Hareta called, "Mitsumi, Jun, please. Just do what he says." Mitsumi and Jun hesitated for a moment before moving to the side, allowing Saturn to leave the Pokémon Center.

As everyone stood looking at the sliding doors, Koya came up to Hareta and asked, "Are you sure that was a good idea, Hareta? You did tell me about what happened; he could be here for more than just a battle against you, after all."

Hareta turned to him, looking up slightly to see his face, saying, "I guess he could, but I don't think he will. I'm more than willing to take that chance." Koya looked back at him for a moment before nodding and heading for the dorm rooms with his Growlithe walking alongside him.

**Later...**

After spending some time at the Pokémon Center, Kaisei, Johanna, and Professor Rowan decided to go back to their hotel for the night. Cynthia was also staying at a hotel, but she decided to stay a little while with the others, joining Dr. Kiyoshi, Kotone, Amanda, and Ninetales in Gold's room, soon being joined by Mitsumi. Ninetales left the room shortly after she came over, wanting to see what Hareta was up to.

As she was crossing over to the room she, Jun, and Mitsumi shared with Hareta, Jun stepped out of the room with a bucket in his hand. Upon seeing Ninetales, he said, "Hey, Ninetales. I was just gonna go get some ice and take it over to Gold's room. You wanna go inside?" Ninetales nodded, so Jun left the door open a crack and said, "We'll probably be up for a while if you wanna come back over. Hareta's busy doing some thinking about his match tomorrow, so he might not want to be disturbed. Just a heads-up." He then walked down the hall, heading for the ice maker while Ninetales slipped through the door and used a tail to shut the door.

She found Hareta sitting at the desk in the room, looking at the screen of the room's computer. Coming up beside him, she saw that he was checking the Pokémon that Saturn had on hand. After a moment, he noticed her and said, "Oh! Sorry Ninetales, I guess I didn't see you there."

She smiled, "That's okay. You seemed to be deep in thought." She then looked at the computer screen and said, "This Saturn person seems to have quite a diverse team. Gallade, Toxicroak, Magmortar, Rhyperior... How are you going to counter all of that?"

Hareta sighed, "That's what I'm trying to figure out. Empoleon would be strong against most of them, but I can't rely on him all the time. Hmm..." As he continued to think about it, Ninetales could see he was starting to over think it and would likely get frustrated if he didn't relax a bit. Suddenly, Hareta felt something slither its way beneath his jacket and shirts, rubbing along his back. It felt soft, fluffy, and firm; when it suddenly retreated, he turned around to see Ninetales giving him a smile. "Was that you, Ninetales?" he asked.

She replied, "Mm-hmm. I think you need to relax before you start losing sleep over this battle, and I can think of only one way to do it. Follow me." Hareta stood up out of the chair and walked alongside her, moving towards one of the beds. When they were standing at the side of it, she told him, "Okay, take your jacket and long-sleeve shirt off."

Hareta gave her a confused look, "Not that I have a problem with it, but why do I have to do that?"

Ninetales answered, "They're too bulky. Your T-shirt is thinner, so it can stay, but I can't help you if your clothes take away the feeling." Although he was still confused, Hareta did as she told him, taking off his jacket, hat, scarf, long-sleeve shirt, and shoes, standing with his white T-shirt, black jeans, and white socks on. She smiled, "Okay, lay down on your stomach on the bed." Hareta complied, laying down and looking back at her questioningly. She then said, "Now just relax..." She then brought her tails forward, laying them on his back before starting to rhythmically bring them up and down on his back.

Hareta gasped, then sighed, "Ahh... That feels nice..." She continued applying her tails along his back for several minutes before she climbed up onto the bed, continuing to use her tails but now standing over him. He asked, "What are you doing...?"

Ninetales shushed him, "Don't worry, you'll like it." Along with her tails, she pressed her paws into Hareta's back, giving him a very relaxing massage. As she continued her massage, she leaned down next to his ear and began to sing.

_Your heart's beating around the clock_

_Time to get away, it doesn't stop_

_Evolution is taking place_

_The world is spinning and changing every day_

_Everything you think of with a name_

_There isn't anything in life that ever stays the same_

_Everything changes, changes_

_Things are changing constantly_

_Everything changes, changes_

_It's evolutionary_

_Everything changes, changes_

_Changing all the time, playing with your mind_

_Modified or rearranged_

_Everything has got to change_

As he listened to her, Hareta began to feel sleepy, falling asleep as she finished. Hearing the light snoring coming from the boy, Ninetales carefully stepped off of him and down onto the floor, turning back to look at him and whispering, "There'll be plenty of time to decide in the morning. You shouldn't exhaust your brain by staying up late." She then took a quick glance around the room and then leaned over, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. She then headed for the door, whispering, "Sleep well, my friend." As she left the room, she turned off the light.

**Early afternoon the following day, the main stadium**

Hareta and Minun stepped out onto the field, moving to stand in the Trainer's box. As expected, Saturn was already waiting on his side, ready for the battle. As he looked at the man, Hareta focused; both Gold and Lance had won their matches, now it was his turn to battle. In addition to his friends and family watching in the crowd, Koya was standing in one of the entrances to the stands, watching the battle while keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

After the announcements were over and they were given the signal to start the battle, Hareta went first, sending out his Onix as his first Pokémon. In response, Saturn chose his signature Pokémon, Toxicroak, to go first. Up in the stands, Kotone wondered, "Why did he pick Toxicroak to go first? I know that it's part Fighting-type, but still, he chose second, so he has a better chance of matching Hareta's choice. Wouldn't it be better to choose something that would have more of an advantage over an Onix?"

Mitsumi spoke, "Toxicroak is easily one of Saturn's stronger Pokémon. He's had it even before Team Galactic took me in as a child. I wouldn't be surprised if it actually IS his strongest now."

Dr. Kiyoshi added, "And judging from the sharpness of those spikes on the back of its hands, the poison that that Toxicroak produces must be quite potent, even without being churned in its sac. Even a Pokémon that's immune to the effects of Poison-type moves might not be able to resist it completely."

Gold said, "Yeah? Well, I'm sure Hareta can handle it." Everyone turned their attention down to the field, Plusle, Kirlia, Cubone, Eevee, Pikachu, and Pichu standing atop the guardrail, ready to cheer Hareta on.

Hareta started the battle by calling for a Rock Tomb attack, Onix letting out a roar as it slammed the ground with its tail, causing a ring of rocks to shoot out of the rocky battlefield they were on and surround Toxicroak. Saturn smirked and called for a Sludge Bomb, Toxicroak spinning around as it fired brown globs of sludge from its mouth at the ring of rocks, each rock beginning to melt upon being hit. As the last bits of rock finished melting, Hareta called for a Double-Edge attack; before Onix could launch the attack, Saturn ordered a Sucker Punch, Toxicroak ramming a fist into part of Onix's body before it could move. While it was still close, Hareta called for a Slam attack, Onix swinging its tail towards Toxicroak but missing due to how fast the Toxic Mouth Pokémon was.

To counter Toxicroak's speed, Hareta called for a Rock Polish, Onix's body glowing white as if it were actually polished. Saturn growled and ordered Toxicroak to use Taunt, the Toxic Mouth Pokémon wagging one of its claws as it said something that made a vein grow on Onix's forehead. Saturn then called for a Mud Bomb, Toxicroak opening its mouth and firing multiple balls of mud at Onix. Onix retaliated by slamming its tail into the ground, countering the Mud Bomb with a Rock Throw. The two attacks met in midair and cancelled each other out, creating an explosion and raising dust into the air.

Before the dust settled, Hareta called for a Dragonbreath attack; Toxicroak wasn't anticipating the attack and was hit hard by a green beam of air that also caused the dust to spread a bit, clearing both Trainer's view. With the view clear, Saturn called for a Revenge attack, Toxicroak recovering from the Dragonbreath and dashing towards Onix, slamming into it with enough force to send Onix flying into the wall of the battlefield. Although it was badly hurt, Onix managed to push itself off the ground and gave Hareta a look that said 'I'm not giving up yet, so you'd better not either.' Although he was surprised by that look, Hareta smiled, "Okay, if you wanna keep going, then we'll keep going. Let's win this!" Onix gave an affirmative growl and slithered back onto the rock battlefield.

Saturn was angered at Hareta's resistance and ordered Toxicroak to use Mud Bomb again. This time, Onix countered with a Double-Edge attack, pushing right through the balls of mud and slamming into Toxicroak before it could get out of the way. Toxicroak was thrown into the wall, but came dashing back onto the field, catching Onix off-guard with a Faint Attack. After leaping back, Saturn ordered Toxicroak to use Flatter, so it said something to Onix that made it feel really good about itself. It also confused Onix, since the Rock Snake Pokémon couldn't clearly see afterwards. While Hareta tried to get Onix to snap out of its confusion, Saturn ordered Toxicroak to use Poison Jab.

In its confusion, Onix somehow managed to whip around and use Iron Tail, not only blocking Toxicroak's Poison Jab but also smacking it away! Taking this chance, Hareta called for another Dragonbreath; Onix, though still confused, managed to see through the haze it was in and line up with Toxicroak perfectly. It then blasted the Toxic Mouth Pokémon with a beam of green air, sending it flying. When it landed, it had swirls in its eyes, so the judge called, "Toxicroak is unable to battle! Onix is the winner!"

Saturn quickly recalled Toxicroak and sent out his next Pokémon, his Gallade! Up in the stands, Kotone whispered to herself, "That's one of the evolutions that a male Kirlia can undergo... I wonder..." She looked over at her own Kirlia, noting that it seemed to be paying special attention at the sight of Gallade.

Back on the field, Onix seemed to have recovered from the confusion and stood ready to continue the battle. Hareta tried to lead off with a Sand Tomb attack, Onix digging into the rock and moving under Gallade, but Saturn told him to jump, Gallade jumping up high and away from a hole that opened up underneath where he was standing. Saturn then called for a Teleport, Gallade vanishing while in midair and suddenly reappearing behind Onix, followed by Saturn calling for a Leaf Blade attack. At his call, Gallade's arms began to glow green and it leapt up, slashing Onix along its back, leaves seeming to be falling as it struck. Onix gave out a pained groan and, after attempting to stay up for another second, fell over, defeated. The judge called, "Onix is unable to battle! Gallade is the winner!"

Hareta recalled Onix and thanked it for battling, telling it to rest up. He then looked back at Gallade and thought, "_I know Gallade has the ability Steadfast, so we'll have to avoid making him flinch to keep this from getting really tough. ...Guess I'll have to fight speed with speed!_" With that thought, he sent out Grovyle to battle next. Both Hareta and Saturn commanded a Leaf Blade, Gallade and Grovyle's twin blades crossing and slashing against each other as they both tried to strike the other. Eventually, they leapt back, having no clear chance of getting through each other's defense.

Saturn then called for Gallade to use Close Combat, so Hareta told Grovyle to use Agility to dodge it. Although Grovyle was fast, Gallade had little trouble keeping up with him, but at the speed they were going, it would be hard for Gallade to attack properly. After dodging a punch thrown at him, Grovyle lashed out with the leaf on his head, knocking Gallade away with a Slam attack. Gallade managed to counter after he stopped moving, using Confusion to hit Grovyle with a psychic wave.

After they both had their feet firmly on the ground, Saturn called for Gallade to use Signal Beam, the red horns on the Blade Pokémon's head glowing light purple at his command. A rainbow-colored ball then formed in front of Gallade's front horn, which released a rainbow-colored beam at Grovyle. Hareta called for an Energy Ball, a ball of green energy forming between Grovyle's hands that was thrown towards the Signal Beam. The attack managed to come into contact with beam before it could hit, but it was quickly overpowered and exploded. Thanks to his speed, Grovyle managed to get out of the path of the Signal Beam.

The two battlers kept going around the field, trading blows with and launching long-range attacks at each other. Eventually, after dodging a Bullet Seed, Gallade went to attack Grovyle with a Psycho Cut. In response, Grovyle dashed towards him with Leaf Blade ready. They collided in the middle of the field, pink and green energy flowing around them as they pushed against each other. They glared at each other, pushing with all their strength as their energy flowed around them. The energy soon became too much as an explosion erupted between the two, sending them flying. They both tried to get up, only to fall back down due to all the fighting they had done so far. The judge looked at both of them before declaring, "Grovyle, Gallade! Both are unable to continue!"

As surprising as the unexpected outcome of the battle between Gallade and Grovyle was, both Hareta and Saturn focused once again, recalling their Pokémon to rest, Hareta thanking Grovyle as he did so. They both wasted no time in calling out their last Pokémon, revealed to be Hareta's Golem and Saturn's Magmortar. Saturn began by calling for Sunny Day, two white orbs forming at the ends of Magmortar's hands that were raised up and released towards the sun, intensifying the sun's rays, while Hareta called for Golem to use Rock Polish, its rock shell shining brightly in the intense sunlight.

Almost immediately afterwards, Saturn commanded Magmortar to use Solarbeam, solar energy quickly gathering in both of its two cannons. As it was fired, Golem took advantage of its increased speed and used Dig to escape the attack. Saturn wasn't about to let Hareta get away with that trick and told Magmortar to use Fire Blast on the ground. The Blast Pokémon leapt into the air and pulled its left hand back into its cannon, a ball of red-orange flames appearing in front of it. It then fired it at the ground, the attack spreading out across almost the whole field before it hit the ground and exploded, covering the field in flames and sending a few stray embers dangerously close to the crowd.

The attack did the trick, as Golem was forced out of the ground in a plume of flames! Once again, Saturn tried to finish the battle quickly by calling for a Solarbeam, Magmortar firing the solar energy towards the flailing Megaton Pokémon. Hareta called for Golem to use Defense Curl, so it retracted its arms and legs into its rocky shell, allowing it to avoid some of the more direct damage from the attack. Coming out of its rocky shell, Golem stomped the ground as it landed, creating an Earthquake attack! While both Saturn and Magmortar were trying to keep their balance, Hareta called for Golem to use Rock Blast, three light blue rings appearing and spinning around Golem's body. The rings began to glow white, turning into white glowing rocks that continued spinning around Golem's body. As the shaking finally eased, Golem fired the glowing rocks at Magmortar, hitting it dead-on and knocking it backwards.

Standing up straight, Saturn ordered Magmortar to use Flamethrower, the Blast Pokémon once again retracting its arm into its cannon, this time firing a stream of flames at Golem. Hareta called for Golem to use Stone Edge, two blue rings forming around its body that spun and deflected the flames away from Golem. The rings then turned white and formed into chunks of gray stone that circled its body before being thrown at Magmortar, hitting it hard.

After Magmortar stood up, the intense sunlight began to fade, making the weather conditions return to normal. Seeing this, Saturn thought, "_I could have Magmortar make the sunlight intense again, but that would give Hareta a chance to attack... Hmm, maybe that would work..._" He then commanded Magmortar to use Lava Plume; the Blast Pokémon complied by holding both arms down. It then created an explosion around it that headed towards Golem, carrying with it a mix of smog and fire. Seeing it approach, Hareta picked up Minun, the Cheering Pokémon's electric pompoms dissipating when he did, holding him close as he called for Golem to use Defense Curl. Golem once again retreated inside of its rocky shell as the smog and fire enveloped it, Hareta holding Minun close as the attack went off the field, reaching both him and Saturn!

Up in the stands, Jun exclaimed, "Oh man! It looks like they overdid it with that attack!"

Johanna gasped, "Oh no, Hareta!"

Professor Rowan turned to her, "Just remain calm, Johanna. These events always have medical personnel standing by in case a human or Pokémon gets badly hurt or otherwise develops something because of a move. That goes for the Trainers too." Johanna calmed down a bit and stayed in her seat, watching with everyone else as the attack ran its toll.

Within the attack, Hareta covered his mouth to keep the smog out, coughing and trying to watch for stray flames, while Minun had his face buried in Hareta's scarf, trying to filter the air. As he looked, Hareta could see, within the cloud that had formed, Golem still seemed to be holding on. He managed to call out to Golem to use Rollout, Golem responding by beginning to spin in place. It then shot in the direction that Magmortar was standing, the Blast Pokémon having not moved since it had used the Lava Plume.

Although it was able to see a little through the smoke, Magmortar didn't see Golem until it was close, coming towards it at full speed. It tried to get out of the way, but Golem had already picked up speed and bowled into Magmortar hard, the Defense Curl from earlier adding power to the move. It sent Magmortar flying into one of the side walls, the Blast Pokémon remaining pressed against it for a second before falling forward, landing on its front with swirly eyes. The judge, who had managed to avoid the Lava Plume by making a miraculous leap up into the stands, called, "Magmortar is unable to battle! Golem is the winner, and the victory goes to Hareta!"

The crowd burst into cheers while Hareta, whose clothes seemed to be burnt by the subsiding Lava Plume, ran over to Golem with Minun, both of them giving the Megaton Pokémon a hug and Hareta thanking it for battling so hard while Golem wrapped an arm around him, hugging him back. Saturn, whose outfit also seemed a bit burnt, glared at Hareta for a moment, seeming ready to throw a hissy fit any second, before closing his eyes as he remembered why he came to battle the boy in the first place. So instead, he simply recalled his Magmortar and left the stadium with a small smile on his face.

Up in the stands, Jessie exclaimed, "That had to be the most intense match so far! Please tell me you got all of it, James!"

The blue-haired man nodded, "Absolutely! I got it all on camera!"

Meowth said, "Man, dat Hareta kid sure can be a crowd pleaser!" After he said that, Wobbuffet popped out of his Poké Ball, voicing his agreement.

As Hareta left the stadium with Minun and Golem, Koya smiled to himself, "He's certainly changed since I last saw him battle. After this next battle, I think we can finally bring the battle we never properly finished at the Sinnoh League to an end."

**Later that evening...**

Everyone, including Koya and Lance, was grabbing a bite to eat at a nice sushi bar, sitting in a big booth that would fit them all. Following Hareta's battle, Koya won a decisive victory with only his Growlithe and Absol, neither one of them being knocked out. Johanna also took Hareta to go see a doctor to make sure he hadn't suffered anything from the Lava Plume; according to the doctor, it seemed there was either no damage or any damage had already healed somehow. Afterwards, they all decided to get dinner, both Lance and Koya deciding to join them.

After dinner, they came back to the Pokémon Center to check the semifinal bracket, already suspecting who their next opponents would be but deciding to check it anyway. And their suspicions were right: Gold was going up against Lance while Hareta was going to battle Koya. After a little while, everyone split up for the night, Kaisei, Johanna, and Professor Rowan heading for the hotel while everyone else headed for the dorm rooms. Koya and Lance went to their respective rooms and everyone else once again got together in Gold's room, Hareta joining them this time.

While everyone else was having fun, Kotone slipped outside onto the balcony, soon being joined by her Croconaw. She gave it a smile and a pat on the head before looking up at the night sky, seeing all the stars scattered around. Gold noticed what she was doing and slipped outside, leaning on the railing next to her as he asked, "Got something on your mind, Kotone?"

She nodded, "Sort of. I was just thinking. If you manage to beat Lance tomorrow, and Hareta manages to win against Koya, you two are going to battle each other in the final round. You know that, right?"

Gold looked at her, "What do you mean, 'if' I beat Lance? You don't think I can?"

Kotone replied, "I didn't say that! But Lance is a strong Trainer. He is the current Johto champion, after all. Both you and Hareta are going to have to battle really hard tomorrow."

Gold nodded, "I know. So what are you worried about?"

Kotone asked, "Well... are you going to be ready for that? If it comes down to you and Hareta? That just seems like it would be really hard to do, knowing you're battling someone who not only knows your strategies, but also knows you."

Gold waved a hand in the air, "Ah, don't be such a worrywart. No matter what happens tomorrow, though I've got a feeling I'm gonna win, everything's gonna be fine. It's gonna be fun!"

Kotone smirked, "Oh really? Well, you keep thinking that and hold onto that feeling then." As she turned around to head back inside with her Croconaw, she added, "After all, you do sound cute when you say things like that."

Gold blushed, "Cute? What are you talking about?" Kotone didn't reply, instead walking with her Croconaw to go talk to Cynthia. Gold turned back to look at the stars, thinking to himself, "_I know what I said, but can I really do it if it happens? Can I battle Hareta like any other Trainer and have it not affect our friendship?_"

* * *

Couple of notes here. I don't know for sure that Saturn has a grudge against Hareta, but it sure seems like he does at several points in the "Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure!" manga. And I figured he needed a battle that didn't end with him getting swept away by water.

Before anyone asks, yes, the song that Ninetales sings to Hareta is an excerpt from "Everything Changes" by Sheila Brody from the "Pokémon 2.B.A. Master" soundtrack. I was thinking of several other songs for her to sing, but this one really seemed to fit. I don't own the song; if there are problems, I can edit the lyrics out later.

And a few romantic moments here. We'll probably see a few more before this fic is finished.

Music:

A Tense Moment - World 8: Dark Land (Super Mario Bros. 3)

Easing the Tension - Everything Changes (Sheila Brody)

Ready for the Battle! - Elite Four Selection Screen (Pokémon Stadium 2)

The Battle Begins - Stargazer Colosseum (Pokémon Battle Revolution)

Blade Battlers - Through the Fire (Sonic and the Black Knight)

Golem vs. Magmortar - Cipher Admin Battle (Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness)

Still on Top - Heroic (Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness)

Gold and Kotone's Talk - Letter (Shadow of Destiny/Memories)

Thanks for reading so far! Hope you'll stick around for the rest of the story!


	49. The Might of a Champion

**Silver Town, Practice Field**

"Buizel, use Aqua Jet!" Gold called, the Sea Weasel Pokémon letting out a cry as its body became surrounded by water. It then shot into the air, going to attack Hareta's Crobat, who countered with a Wing Attack. It was early morning, and both Hareta and Gold had been practicing for their respective semifinal matches since they had woken up. Jun, Mitsumi, Dr. Kiyoshi, Pikachu, and Kaisei were watching from the sidelines, observing their practicing.

After the attacks had canceled each other out and both Trainers had commented their Pokémon, the group came over with Jun saying, "Looking pretty good, guys! But you do know that the semifinals are going to require a bit more, right?"

Hareta replied, "Yeah, but it's still early. Don't wanna wear ourselves out before the matches even start, after all!" He then rubbed Crobat on the head, saying, "You and the others are looking great so far, Crobat! It's thanks to you guys that we've made it this far!" Crobat rubbed against his chest in appreciation at that.

Mitsumi smiled, then asked, "So have you thought about who you're going to use for your match, Hareta?"

The boy replied, "I don't know about Koya, but I'm sticking to the same three I used last time: Luxray, Regigigas, and Empoleon."

Jun rubbed the side of his head as he said, "Well, it's definitely a good lineup, there's no denying that. But are you sure that's a good idea? Koya might be expecting that; you more than anyone know that he's hard to catch by surprise, after all."

Hareta nodded, "Yeah, I'm sure he will. But I'm sure he also wants to settle that match, since neither one of us actually won. It might be sentiment more than anything, but win or lose, I want to finish the match the same way I started it, even if Koya doesn't."

Kaisei spoke, "I wouldn't worry about that, son. As long as you do your best and give Koya a good battle, I don't think either of you will walk away disappointed."

Gold nodded, "Yeah, we're both gonna have to give a good battle. We're at the point where even a small mistake is going to make a big difference. You're going up against your big rival and I've got to defeat the Johto Champion." He then thought back to what had happened during the trio's first visit to Mahogany Town as he said, "You were kind of unavailable for most of what happened, but Lance is one tough Trainer. Definitely worthy of being a champion. And to think I've got to go up against him now…"

Mitsumi asked, "What do you mean Hareta was unavailable? What was he doing, sleeping?"

Dr. Kiyoshi nervously said, "Er, no. He was separated and attacked by someone who was a really tough opponent. Based on how he looked afterwards, I'd say it was quite the brawl."

Hareta nodded, "Sure was. But that's all in the past now. Right now, I gotta focus on what's happening today!"

Dr. Kiyoshi smiled, "Of course. There's a time and a place for everything, after all." He then turned to Gold and said, "I'll be sure to check up on all of your Pokémon after breakfast to make sure they're fine, and I'm sure you'll make sure they're all ready to battle. Is there anything else you can think of that they might need before your battle?"

Gold replied, "I think we'll be good to go. Right guys?" Both Pikachu and Buizel gave an affirmative cry at that. Everyone then noticed that Johanna, Cynthia, and Professor Rowan were standing near the entrance to the field, so they went over to see what was up.

**Meanwhile, inside the Pokémon Center**

Amanda and Kotone were talking as they walked down the stairs with Ninetales following behind. After waking up, the girls were quick to notice that most of their friends had already gotten up, even though it was earlier than usual. Still, they took their time waking up and getting prepared and were now heading down to see what everyone was up to.

As they were about to enter the lobby, they overheard a man say, "So Koya, you seem to be making real progress in the tournament. Not that that's unusual for you; now it looks like you'll finally get the chance that you've been waiting for."

The girls peeked out into the lobby to see Koya sitting at one of the phones talking to a man with short black hair wearing a long brown coat. He spoke, "Yes, I will say that this is going to be an exciting day, Looker. Traveling with Hareta as long as I did only made my desire to settle the battle with him even stronger. He may have done a few things that I can't repay him for, but that doesn't change the fact that we're still rivals."

Looker smiled, "Yes, but it's a much different rivalry compared to how you two treated each other when you first met. I'm sure it's going to be an exciting match!"

Koya asked, "Am I correct in guessing that you'll be watching?"

Looker answered, "I would've traveled out to watch the conference if something hadn't come up a couple days ago. There's been evidence appearing that hints that someone is planning to do something at the prison that Charon was sent to, so everyone there has been put on high alert. I've been doing some investigating of my own since then, but I'll try to catch as much of the match as I can. And before you ask, I don't want you to forfeit your match unless something comes up before then. Got it?"

Koya nodded after a moment, "All right, if you say so."

Looker replied, "I do say so. Good luck!" With that, the screen went black. Koya sat in the chair for a moment before suddenly turning to his right and spotting Kotone, Amanda, and Ninetales, who immediately became nervous as they realized they had been caught. Koya, having already suspected there was someone there, simply stood up from his seat and headed towards the sliding doors.

Amanda called to him, "Hey, what was that all about? What's going on?"

Koya continued walking as he said, "None of your business. If you didn't catch enough information while you were spying on me, then that's too bad."

Kotone ran over to him, walking just behind him as she said, "Listen Koya, I'm sorry we were listening in on your conversation, but we didn't know who else was up at this time."

As Amanda and Ninetales ran to catch up with them, Koya shrugged, "Don't worry about it. I'm not easy to sneak up on; just ask Mitsumi. And it's not like Looker and I were talking about anything top-secret."

As they sat on the steps outside, Amanda said, "I overheard that you're a member of the International Police, Koya. Care to explain that? It's not every day that someone your age is a fully licensed police officer."

Koya retorted, "It's not every day that a small group of kids can bring down a criminal organization either."

Kotone pointed to him as she said, "Touché."

Amanda sighed, "Okay, I get your point. Weirder things have happened. So does that mean Hareta is a police officer too?"

Koya shook his head, "No. I asked him once, but I guess I already knew then that that wasn't his style. The offer's still open if he ever changes his mind, and traveling around with him was a good experience for both of us." He then looked up, seeing Hareta and his companions coming over with Hareta and his Empoleon in front and Gold and his Bayleef and Pikachu behind them. He then muttered, "Still, what we've each learned since then is what's going to be tested today."

Upon seeing Hareta, Ninetales got to her feet and ran up to him, nuzzling him against the chest while he rubbed her head. Both Amanda and Kotone stood up and came over as everyone else caught up with the two boys and their Pokémon, everyone talking. Everyone except Hareta and Koya, that is. They stared at each other for a minute before Koya stood up and began walking towards the town. Before he passed Hareta completely, he turned to him and said, "Promise me something, Hareta: that we'll have a battle that is both good and fun."

Hareta grinned, "Of course! You can count on it!" Koya gave him a friendly smile before he turned back to the road and continued walking. As Hareta watched him, the sun began to rise in the sky, lighting up Silver Town for the new day.

**Later, the main stadium**

"Hello out there all you viewers! Jessadia here once again with more Johto League excitement! I hope you all slept well last night and had a good breakfast this morning, because with the semifinals finally upon us, you're sure going to be tuckered out by the end of the day!" Jessie spoke. She was once again up in the stands with James and Meowth, standing a little bit above where Hareta and his friends and family were sitting.

Along with everyone else in the stands and at home, they were waiting with anticipation as Gold and Lance came onto the grass battlefield and took their places. A battle against the reigning champ during a tournament was always an exciting ordeal, but now that they were up to the semifinals, the excitement was building to a fever pitch before the match even started.

After Gold and Lance exchanged some friendly words and they were given the signal, they sent out their first Pokémon, Gold choosing Gible while Lance chose Gyarados. Gold began by calling for Gible to use Dragon Rage, the Land Shark Pokémon opening its mouth and forming a red-orange fireball that it fired at Gyarados. Lance called for a Hydro Pump, so Gyarados blasted a powerful jet of water at the oncoming attack. The two attacks met and almost immediately exploded afterwards.

Gold then called for Gible to use Dig, causing it to go underground and move around the field, its fin being hard to see in the grass. Lance retaliated by calling for a Twister, Gyarados bringing its tail forward and waving it, sending a tornado across the field that uprooted some of the grass. It didn't force Gible up, though, and after it attempted to attack and missed, Lance called for Gyarados to use Rain Dance, the Atrocious Pokémon releasing a roar that summoned a rainstorm.

Seeing the rain, Gold recalled Gible, having gotten an idea, and sent out Pikachu in its place. Seeing what he was planning, Lance called for another Hydro Pump, which looked even stronger because of the rain. Gold called for Pikachu to use Light Screen, the Mouse Pokémon creating a clear glass screen as the attack came towards him. Although some of the damage was avoided, it still sent him flying, but it was clear that trying to run around on the wet field would've been a bad idea.

After Pikachu landed, Gold called for a Quick Attack and Pikachu responded by leaping from one patch of the field to another, eventually catching Gyarados off guard and hitting it from the side. Unfortunately for Pikachu, he was immediately smacked away by a sudden Aqua Tail from Gyarados, sending him flopping through the grass and mud. After stopping, he got up and noticed that Gyarados was charging up a Hyper Beam. Gold immediately called for a Discharge attack, Pikachu releasing blue bolts of electricity from his cheeks that leapt across the wet ground, one managing to hit Gyarados. While it was reeling from the shock, Gold took advantage of the rain and called for a Thunder attack, Pikachu releasing a massive beam of electricity from his body and hitting Gyarados dead-on. The Atrocious Pokémon soon collapsed, and the judge called, "Gyarados is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner!"

Lance recalled Gyarados and said, "You did great, Gyarados. Now take a long rest." The rain began to stop as he called to Gold, "That was a good strategy you used, Gold. But now you're going to have to try something else!" He then sent out his second Pokémon, a Charizard! Just by looking at it, it was clear that it was really strong; the fire at the tip of its tail seemed like it was beginning to cause the field around Charizard to warm up, the Flame Pokémon giving a light, yet intimidating growl at its opponents.

Although intimidated, Gold regained his composure and called for Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, the electric mouse releasing a powerful bolt of electricity from its body. Lance responded by calling for a Heat Wave, a red-orange ball forming in Charizard's mouth that was released as a wind of flames. It not only stopped the Thunderbolt, but it also came dangerously close to hitting Pikachu directly from both sides. Thankfully, most of the grass near Pikachu was gone now, so there was less chance of a fire starting.

Lance followed up by calling for a Fire Spin, Charizard firing an orb of fire at Pikachu at the call. Pikachu managed to get out of the way and began to use Agility, darting around the field and dodging the embers being thrown off by the attack. After the attack fizzled, Pikachu used Double Team to confuse Charizard and, while it was trying to figure out which Pikachu was the real one, hit it on the side of its head with an Iron Tail. Charizard was quick to react, however, and managed to strike with a Shadow Claw before Pikachu could get too far from it.

Afterwards, Charizard flew up and began to attack with Flamethrower from above, Pikachu doing his best to avoid the flames. Gold growled; the way Charizard was attacking meant there would be no time to stop and attempt a long-range attack. He then noticed that Charizard would come down a little bit when it attacked and, the next time it began to swoop down, he called for a Quick Attack. Pikachu avoided the incoming Flamethrower and shot up towards the Flame Pokémon. He managed to strike between Charizard's neck and chest; although he bounced off and it didn't seem to deter it much, Pikachu managed to activate his Static ability during their brief moment of contact and Charizard growled as its body began to spark a bit from the paralysis.

Charizard managed to land without any difficulty, though it was clear that any further movements would have to be done carefully. Trying to take advantage of the paralysis, Gold called for a Volt Tackle, Pikachu running towards Charizard as he became surrounded by golden electricity. Seeing this, Lance commanded Charizard to use Flare Blitz; the Flame Pokémon spread its wings and flew towards Pikachu, its body being surrounded by red-orange fire as it did. The two attacks held for a second before they created a large explosion; after a moment, however, Pikachu was sent flying out of the smoke, hitting the ground hard and passing out. When the smoke cleared, the judge called, "Pikachu is unable to battle! Charizard is the winner!"

Up in the crowd, Ninetales sighed, "(Poor Pikachu… At least he fought as hard as he could.)"

Hareta asked, "Pikachu managed to paralyze Charizard, right? That's gotta count for something."

Cynthia spoke, "It might. We'll have to wait and see."

Kaisei, who was eating a bag of chips, licked his fingers and turned to Professor Rowan, asking, "What do you think, professor? You think Lance will stick with his Charizard or swap it out?"

Professor Rowan replied, "I have a feeling he'll keep it out, Kaisei. The paralysis is clearly going to hinder its attacks, but it would appear Lance has raised it to be able to withstand attacks while also being a strong battler."

Back on the field, Gold decided to send Gible out again. He began by calling for a Dragon Pulse, Gible forming and firing a turquoise ball of energy from its mouth. Lance called for Charizard to use Dragon Rage, the mighty Fire and Flying-type launching a ball of fire from its mouth. The two attacks met and exploded, raising more dust into the air; during the confusion, Gold told Gible to use Dragon Rush, the Land Shark Pokémon leaping into the smoke and surrounding itself with a light blue Aura. It then shot right through the smoke and rammed into Charizard's chest, knocking it down onto the ground.

Although it wasn't quite defeated yet, Charizard was having some trouble getting up due to the paralysis. Gible took this chance to use Dragon Claw, the claws at the ends of its fingers shining blue as it leapt towards Charizard. It slashed along Charizard's face, knocking it off of its knees and claws and down onto its side. Feeling suddenly returned to its body when it landed, however, and a fiery Aura suddenly surrounded its body. After the Aura subsided, it suddenly brought its head up and turned it towards where Gible was standing. Before either Gible or Gold could react, it launched a powerful Flamethrower at the Land Shark Pokémon. After the attack subsided, Gible stood where it was for a moment, heavily burnt, before falling on its side, defeated. The judge called, "Gible is unable to battle! Charizard is the winner!"

Gold quickly recalled Gible and thanked it for a good battle before looking back at Charizard, who had just stood up. He thought, "_At any other time, my decision for my third Pokémon might not have been such a good idea. But at this point, I think we can defeat Lance's Charizard without too much difficulty._" He then grabbed a Poké Ball and sent out his last Pokémon, his Bayleef!

Up in the stands, Mitsumi exclaimed, "What? Why did he choose Bayleef for his last Pokémon? Did he just forget what he's up against here?"

Cynthia spoke, "Don't be critical of his decision until you see what happens, Mitsumi. There's a chance that the cornered rat will bite the cat."

Gold started off by calling for a Magical Leaf, Bayleef pulling its head back and then bringing it forward, sending out glowing green leaves. Lance ordered Charizard to use Wing Attack, its wings glowing brightly as it knocked down all of the glowing leaves. Gold then called for a Headbutt, prompting Lance to call for a Slash attack. They both missed and went past each other, Gold calling for a Vine Whip as they did. Bayleef slid to a stop and sent its vines towards Charizard, wrapping them around its mouth!

Lance smirked, "Clever… Using one attack to throw us off, then using the real move. And between the paralysis and all the battling Charizard has done so far, shaking Bayleef off won't be easy." In frustration, Charizard tried to swipe at the vines with a Dragon Claw, but the paralysis effect kicked in and kept it from moving. Gold took this opportunity to tell Bayleef to attack Charizard, the Leaf Pokémon releasing its vines from around Charizard's mouth and slapping them along the side of its face. While it was stunned, Bayleef leapt up for a Body Slam, landing on Charizard's back and pushing it to the ground, Charizard groaning as Bayleef applied its full weight. It groaned for a second longer before collapsing, finally defeated. The judge called, "Charizard is unable to battle! Bayleef is the winner!"

While Lance recalled his Charizard, Mitsumi said, "Well, I suppose I spoke too soon again. And here I thought Hareta was the only one to come up with unusual strategies."

Kotone turned to her and said, "Gold's had plenty of interesting strategies before now, Mitsumi. You just weren't around to see them."

Down on the field, Lance called out his final Pokémon, his signature Dragonite. He led off by calling for a Dragon Rush, Dragonite surrounding itself with a light blue Aura as it flew towards Bayleef. Gold called for Bayleef to use Vine Whip on the ground, which allowed it to jump over Dragonite and avoid the attack. While it was in the air, Gold called for an AncientPower attack, Bayleef turning around as its body gave a white glow, which came off of its body and became a silver ball above its leaf. It then fired it at Dragonite, who almost managed to avoid it, only getting hit on the edge of its wing.

After Dragonite had recovered and Bayleef had landed, Gold called for a Razor Leaf attack, Bayleef whipping its head in one direction as it sent spinning leaves at Dragonite. Lance countered by calling for a Twister, Dragonite moving up slightly and flapping its wings, creating a twister that swept up the leaves, stopping them. Bayleef moved to run from it, but the Twister hit the ground before it could get far, sending it flying a short ways. It landed hard on its side, but had little trouble getting back up.

Lance told Dragonite to protect itself with Safeguard, its body glowing green at his call. Gold growled; he wouldn't be able to use PoisonPowder to try to wear Dragonite for a while now. Instead, he called for Bayleef to use Magical Leaf, the Leaf Pokémon sending more glowing green leaves at the Dragon Pokémon. Lance called for another Dragon Rush, Dragonite simply pushing its way through the leaves and sending Bayleef flying before it had a chance to dodge. While it pushed itself up again, Lance called for a Dragon Dance, Dragonite letting out a cry as it increased its speed and attack power.

Gold called for Bayleef to use Reflect, a glass-like wall forming in front of it. Lance then called for an Outrage attack, Dragonite giving Bayleef a very unnerving glare before suddenly flying right up to it. It then began pummeling Bayleef with countless physical attacks, breaking through the Reflect as if it were real glass. Eventually, it smacked a battered Bayleef away with a potent uppercut. Although it became confused afterwards, Dragonite did its best to remain calm.

Seeing Bayleef struggling to stand up, Lance called to Gold, "Gold, it's clear that this battle has begun to take its toll on your Bayleef. Perhaps it would be better to give up the battle rather than put it through more fighting. There's no shame in doing the right thing for a friend, even if it means giving up."

Gold thought about his words, knowing Bayleef had been really hurt by the Outrage. It was true that he'd made it to the semifinals, but was that really worth putting Bayleef through more pain to see if he could make it to the final round? Before he could decide, Bayleef gave a shout, getting his attention. Turning to look at it, he saw Bayleef raise its head to the sky and give a shout as its body began to glow white! Everyone in the stadium looked on as Bayleef began to change, the glow fading to reveal that Bayleef had evolved into a Meganium! Although he was surprised at this, Gold realized what Bayleef had been trying to tell him and told Meganium to use Synthesis, its body glowing white and sparkling as some of its injuries were healed.

Up in the crowd, Jun exclaimed, "Whoa, that's one stubborn Pokémon! Just like Gold, it doesn't want to give up!"

Johanna nodded, "I think I'm beginning to see why Meganium chose Gold as its Trainer when it was a Chikorita. They both go very well together." Plusle, Minun, and Sneasel all began to cheer loudly for Gold and Meganium, trying to psyche them both up.

Back on the field, Lance smiled, "So they both want to keep going. That's very admirable. Very well, then." He then called out to Dragonite, snapping it out of its brief confusion, and told it to use Hyper Beam. As Dragonite began to charge up energy in its mouth, Gold noticed Meganium was gathering sunlight in its flower petals. As Dragonite finished charging up its Hyper Beam, Meganium's flower petals began to glow white, prompting Gold to call for it to use Solarbeam! The two beams were fired, both holding for several seconds before exploding and sending them both flying back a bit.

While Dragonite recovered from using Hyper Beam, Gold had Meganium use Sweet Scent, followed by a Headbutt that hit Dragonite right in the chest. After recovering, Dragonite went to use Aqua Tail, which was easily dodged, followed by a Wing Attack that hit Meganium along its cheek. They continued to trade blows until, as they both were beginning to run out of energy, they began charging one last Solarbeam and Hyper Beam. Again, they both struck and exploded after several moments, throwing them both back. They both managed to get up and went into a stare down, both of them too tired to keep battling and now waiting to see which one would fall. Several minutes passed like this.

Suddenly, there was the sound of something hitting the ground. Gasps rose up from the crowd. And then…

"Meganium is unable to battle! Dragonite is the winner, and the match goes to Lance!"

* * *

Originally, I was planning to have this chapter wrap up with Hareta going on to his next match while Gold headed for the Pokémon Center, but I couldn't find any way to make it work without it sounding odd. Everything else seemed fine, so I decided to have it end with the end of Gold's match instead.

Music:

Early Training - Battle Theme (Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door)

Listening In - Digipad (Shadow of Destiny/Memories)

Talking and Meeting Up - Route 209 (Super Smash Brothers Brawl)

Building Excitement - Blitz Ball Gamblers (Final Fantasy X)

Gold vs. Lance - Elite Four Battle (Pokémon Stadium 2)

Mighty Charizard - The Man with the Machine Gun (Final Fantasy VIII)

Bayleef vs. Dragonite - Lance Battle (Pokémon Stadium 2)

Unexpected Turnaround? - Alexander Battle (Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon)

End Results - Defeated! (Pokémon Stadium 2)


	50. Battle Between Clear and Light

As the crowd began to cheer for Lance, Gold ran over to Meganium's side, dropping down on his knees next to it. He carefully took its head between his hands and asked, worriedly, "Meganium, are you all right?" The Herb Pokémon opened its eyes and looked up at him apologetically. Gold spoke, "It's okay, Meganium. You battled as hard as you could, and we came close to winning too. Besides, not a lot of beginning Trainers make it this far during their first Pokémon League tournament. There's nothing to be sorry about." He then recalled Meganium back to its Poké Ball to rest, looking down at the ground a second longer before standing up.

By now, Lance had made his way over to him and spoke, "Gold." When the boy looked up at him, he continued, "I'm sorry it had to end like this for you. But if it makes you feel any better, it's been years since I last had a battle that exciting. If things had been just a little different back there, there's no doubt in my mind that Meganium would've won." He held out a hand towards Gold, saying, "You've done a good job raising your Pokémon with loving care so far. I believe you will continue to grow stronger together. And when you are ready, I would be happy to battle you again." Gold gave him a smile and took Lance's hand, shaking it while the crowd cheered.

After they let go, Lance turned around and headed for his side of the stadium, leaving. Gold remained where he was standing a minute longer before turning around and leaving as well, though his gaze was directed towards the ground. As he exited the stadium and walked down the hallway, he stopped and leaned on his shoulder against the wall for a moment, his expression unreadable.

He looked up as he heard footsteps, seeing that they belong to Hareta, Kotone, Ninetales, Mitsumi, and Jun. "Oh… Hey guys…" he said, somewhat absently.

Hareta spoke first, "Gold… I'm sorry about what happened…"

Gold asked, "What are you sorry about, Hareta? You didn't do anything. Besides, I'm fine."

Kotone said, "Gold, please. You know you can't mask how you really feel in front of him. You're disappointed that you came so close and lost; it's as clear as the floor tiles in this hallway. But you still did a really good job for your first time competing, especially when you consider who your opponent was."

Jun added, "Sure, man. Most first-time Trainers would get smoked if they were to face a champion during the competition. And yet you almost beat him! That's something to be proud of!"

Gold nodded, "Yeah…" A moment of silence passed before he said, "I'd better take my Pokémon over to the Pokémon Center. You're up next, Hareta."

Hareta said, "Gold… You…"

Gold spoke, "I'm just going to run over to the Pokémon Center real quick. I'll be back in time to see your match."

Hareta persisted, "But Gold…"

Gold, while jerking a finger in the direction of the field, shouted, "Get out there already! Stop wasting your time, for crying out loud!" Hareta took a hesitant step back at the way Gold raised his voice at him. But Gold then walked over to him and put his hands on his shoulders, saying, "Listen. What just happened out there is done with. Of course I'm disappointed that I didn't win, but there's nothing I can do about it. You still have a chance to win, and you've got a rival out there who's looking to settle the score with you. Don't you think he'd be more than a little disappointed in you if you shrugged him off because of me?"

Hareta was silent a moment before saying, "Okay. But you'd better come back like you said you would, okay?" Gold let go of his shoulders and stood up straight, nodding. Satisfied, Hareta walked past him towards the entrance to the field, turning around to look back at everyone one last time before going out. After he did, Gold turned around and walked past Kotone, Ninetales, Jun, and Mitsumi, heading outside towards the Pokémon Center.

As they watched him leave their sight, Jun sighed, "Well, it was worth a try. Guess it's gonna take him a while to get over this." Kotone nodded silently, wondering if there was something she could do to help her friend.

Mitsumi spoke, "Perhaps I should go keep an eye on him from afar. Just to make sure he does what he said he's going to do." She began to walk towards the entryway Gold had exited through, but was stopped when Ninetales put up several of her tails in the way. Mitsumi looked at the Fox Pokémon, who shook her head in disapproval.

Kotone, seeing what Ninetales was getting at, spoke, "It's all right, Mitsumi. Let's just give Gold a chance to prove he's going to keep his promise. Admittedly, I've never seen him get upset like this, but I've also never seen him break a promise to a friend. We'll wait up in the stands for a little bit, and if he doesn't show up, we'll go see what he's doing, okay?" Mitsumi looked at her a moment before nodding; everyone then headed back up to the stands, knowing that the match between Hareta and Koya would be starting soon.

**Meanwhile, at the Pokémon Center**

"I'll be sure to take good care of your Pokémon, Gold. But it will take a few minutes to heal them completely, so please wait here in the lobby," Nurse Joy was saying. Gold nodded quietly before she headed into the back while he went to go sit down in one of the available chairs. It had taken several minutes to get to the Pokémon Center, since he walked the entire way rather than trying to get there as soon as he could. He sighed as he sat down, still thinking about the battle.

After sitting for several minutes, he was brought out of his haze when he heard Jessie, on a nearby TV say, "We've had a slight intermission everyone, but now the action is about to resume! In just a few moments, the second semifinal match will begin, and it will most certainly be a real treat! The two competitors, Hareta and Koya, previously took part in the Sinnoh League tournament a year ago, having battled, coincidentally enough, in the semifinals as well! However, as I'm sure anyone who was there remembers, their battle ended in a draw! With so much time having passed between then and now, we're sure to see them settle their battle here today!"

Gold smiled to himself, "Heh. When she gets in the mood for it, Jessie sure can create some excitement." After a moment, he stood up and went over to the front desk to ask Nurse Joy if he could have his Pokémon back. Although she was a bit surprised, she agreed to give them back since they had been treated, though she said they needed to rest now. Gold agreed, so she gave them back to him; he then thanked her before he turned around and ran towards the front doors, hurrying towards the main stadium. As he ran, he thought, "_Jessie, James, and Meowth are getting over their past to help pump up people who are watching at home. Can I really afford to do anything less for Hareta?_"

**Meanwhile, at the stadium**

Both Hareta, along with his Minun, and Koya were standing in their respective boxes at the edges of the rock battlefield, waiting for the announcements to end. While they were listening, Hareta was keeping an eye on where his friends and family were sitting, looking for Gold. He figured that Gold would want to have his Pokémon with him before he came, but he still wanted to see that he was up there to see the match.

Just as the announcements were coming to a close, Gold came running over to where everyone was sitting, waving down to Hareta as he ran to let him know he was present. Hareta smiled at that and shot Gold a thumbs up, which he answered back with a smile and his own thumb before he continued over to where everyone was, sitting next to Kotone. Hareta then turned his attention back to the field as the judge called, "Trainers, ready? Begin!"

Hareta decided to lead off with his Luxray while Koya chose his Absol as his first Pokémon. Hareta attempted to lead off by calling for a Thunder attack, but Koya stopped his attempt by calling for a Sucker Punch, Absol dashing into Luxray before Hareta could finish calling for the attack. Seeing how close Luxray and Absol were, though, Hareta countered by calling for a Thunder Fang, Luxray's fangs glowing yellow and electricity sparking from them at his call. He then bit down on Absol's side before he was sent flying, making them both hit the ground hard.

After they both recovered, Koya called for a Night Slash while Hareta called for a Spark attack. The attacks collided and held for a moment before an explosion occurred, sending them both flying back. After Absol landed, it used a Razor Wind attack, sending a white crescent blade of energy at Luxray, who had just recovered, sending him back into a wall. Although it was a strong attack, Luxray came out of the dust that had been raised, appearing to be fine and unleashing a Scary Face upon landing, catching the Disaster Pokémon by surprise. While it was still caught off-guard, Luxray launched into another Spark attack, knocking Absol back a bit.

After it recovered, Absol used Double Team to create multiple copies of itself, all of which ran towards Luxray while preparing to use Psycho Cut. Luxray used Discharge to try to hit them all and stop the real Absol, but the real Absol avoided the shock that was heading for it and slashed Luxray across his face with its glowing light blue horn. Luxray was sent skidding across the ground a short ways, but managed to recover and strike back with a sudden Iron Tail.

After recovering from the hit, Absol closed its eyes and relaxed as it used Calm Mind. Seeing this, Luxray focused the electricity within him, using Charge to temporarily increase the power of his Electric-type moves. While he was readying his next attack, Absol began to gather orange energy in its mouth, creating an orb; it then sent it flying towards Luxray as a Hyper Beam! Luxray responded by using a powerful Thunder attack, sending a large bolt of electricity towards the beam. The two attacks met, held, and pushed against each other for several moments before a massive explosion erupted! The explosion sent both Luxray and Absol flying past their Trainers and into the wall, both of them falling to the ground passed out. The judge called, "Luxray, Absol! Both are unable to battle!"

Both Trainers recalled their Pokémon back to their Poké Balls to rest, thanking them before focusing on the battle again. For their second Pokémon, Hareta chose Empoleon, while Koya sent out Mamoswine. Up in the stands, Mitsumi spoke, "We've seen these two face each other before. Remember, Jun?"

The blonde haired boy nodded, "Yeah. Mamoswine was able to avoid Empoleon's attacks and attack from all angles because it activated its Snow Cloak ability. I'm still surprised how Hareta was able to help Empoleon land a direct hit that time."

Kaisei spoke, "Well Jun, sometimes you have to use more than just your eyes. You have to make use of all of your other senses as well."

Jun smiled, "Really? I'll have to remember that." Everyone then turned their attention back to the battlefield as both Pokémon got ready to battle.

Koya led off by calling for a Mud Bomb, Mamoswine firing multiple balls of brown mud out of its mouth at Empoleon. Hareta called for a Whirlpool, Empoleon creating a vortex of water above his head and using a wing to knock it towards the incoming attack, the water swallowing up the balls of mud. It continued onwards towards Mamoswine until it unleashed a Powder Snow, freezing the water and making it shatter when it hit the ground.

Hareta then called for a Drill Peck while Koya commanded a Take Down attack. The two Pokémon slammed into each other, both being knocked back by the force of the collision. After they both landed, Hareta called for a Hydro Pump attack while Koya called for an AncientPower attack. Mamoswine's body glowed white, the glow coming off of its body and becoming a silver ball at the end of its tusks, which was fired at the stream of water Empoleon released from his mouth. When the two attacks met, they immediately created an explosion, raising dust into the air. At this point, Koya decided to start putting pressure on Hareta, so he called for Mamoswine to use Hail.

All of a sudden, the skies became cloudy and chunks of ice began raining down on the stadium, everyone being caught off-guard at the sudden hailstorm. Bringing his arms down from around his face, Hareta called for Empoleon to use Ice Beam. Empoleon responded by opening his beak and forming a light blue ball in front of it, light blue beams being fired from it towards Mamoswine, but thanks to its Snow Cloak ability, the Twin Tusk Pokémon dodged easily and disappeared amongst the hail. It then suddenly slammed into Empoleon from the side with a Take Down attack. While Minun started to cheer harder for Empoleon, Hareta thought, "_That's the same trick he used last time… Will the way I beat it last time work here, though?_"

Up in the stands, Professor Rowan mused, "Hmm… Koya is repeating a strategy in spite of the fact that Hareta found a way to overcome it last time he used it. Could he have something planned if Hareta tries it again?"

Amanda asked, "How did he manage to overcome it last time?"

Mitsumi explained, "He fell down on the ground like he had been knocked out, but in reality, he had his ear pressed up against the ground. That way, he could listen for Mamoswine's footsteps and figure out its location in the hailstorm. That allowed Empoleon to dodge the Take Down attack and strike back with a Hydro Pump at the same time."

Jun spoke, "Koya wouldn't forget something like that. So he wouldn't go with that strategy again unless he found a way to attack Hareta's Pokémon without giving his own Pokémon's position away."

Back on the field, after Empoleon got sideswiped by another Take Down attack, Hareta began to get down on the ground to put his ear up against it. Seeing what he was doing, Koya called, "Forget it, Hareta! You won't catch us with that trick again!" As if to drive the point home, Mamoswine stopped running through the hail and launched a Blizzard at Empoleon, causing a layer of ice to form on his right wing. While it began running around again, Empoleon tried to get the ice to come off, eventually swinging his wing repeatedly against the ground, trying to break it off.

As Empoleon waved his wing around, Hareta noticed that it seemed to push some of the mist that had formed on the field, making silhouettes of the bits of ice that went flying appear, though they were hard to see. "_Maybe… Would that work with something larger?_" Hareta wondered to himself. Shrugging to himself, he called to Empoleon, who had removed most of the ice by now, asking him to use Mist. Responding to his call, Empoleon opened his mouth and released a thick white cloud, which sparkled all around the battlefield. After he managed to avoid a sudden Ice Shard attack, Hareta called for Empoleon to use Defog in the direction the attack had come from. Empoleon brought a wing in front of him and then swept it to the side, spreading the Mist attack around. As Hareta was hoping for, a silhouette of Mamoswine could just barely be seen in the distance and he called for an Aqua Jet, Empoleon dashing above the ground and hitting Mamoswine before it had a chance to move.

Koya growled, "I didn't see that coming… Never would've expected him to use Mist that way." Suddenly, the hailstorm began to clear up, the skies returning to a bright blue color. Both Trainers briefly considered altering the weather to try to give their Pokémon an advantage, but a quick look at both Empoleon and Mamoswine showed that they were beginning to tire out. Changing the weather might help them some, but it could also leave them open to attack, and a powerful hit might be all either one of them needed. So they both decided to focus on dealing with the battle as it was and try to end it as soon as they could.

Mamoswine led off with an Earthquake attack, shaking the ground of the stadium and making everyone teeter around to try to maintain their balance. While they were wobbling, Mamoswine went in for another Take Down, which Empoleon attempted to counter with a Metal Claw attack. Despite the type advantage, Mamoswine succeeded in knocking Empoleon back and followed it up with an Ice Shard attack, hitting Empoleon with a beam of white wind with shards of ice in it. It then attempted to attack with an Ice Fang, but Empoleon avoided the blue bolts it released from its fangs and caught it off-guard with a sudden Whirlpool. While it was caught in the vortex, Empoleon jumped inside of it, riding the water with Surf, and attacked Mamoswine with Metal Claw, knocking it free of the Whirlpool, though it hit the ground hard. A moment after Empoleon landed back on his feet, the judge called, "Mamoswine is unable to battle! Empoleon is the winner!"

Koya quickly recalled Mamoswine, smirking to himself about how Hareta was still able to surprise him. He then wasted no time in sending out his last Pokémon, his Metagross. Hareta called for a Hydro Pump attack, which Koya countered by calling for a Psychic attack, Metagross' body glowing blue as it made the stream of water go completely off course. Growling, Hareta called for Empoleon to use Whirlpool, the Emperor Pokémon once again creating a vortex of water and sending it towards the Iron Leg Pokémon. Koya called for a Bullet Punch, Metagross' arms glowing red as it spun on its side, cutting through the Whirlpool with ease. Before Hareta had a chance to retaliate, Koya called for a Hammer Arm, one of Metagross' legs glowing white as it slammed it onto Empoleon, pushing him into the ground and raising more dust. After Metagross landed and the dust cleared, the judge declared, "Empoleon is unable to battle! Metagross is the winner!"

Hareta recalled Empoleon and thanked him for battling hard, then brought out Regigigas' Poké Ball and sent it out. The Colossal Pokémon stood where it was, hardly moving due to the effects of its Slow Start ability. Up in the stands, Mitsumi said, "This is not good. Regigigas won't be able to even dodge attacks until its ability wears off. And there's no telling what Koya will do before then."

Cynthia spoke, "It's true that he's taking a big chance using Regigigas, but I have a feeling it'll be worth it. If it can hold on until the Slow Start wears off, it should be able to handle Metagross with little trouble."

Koya muttered, "We've gotta take Regigigas down before its ability wears off or we won't stand much of a chance!" He then called for Metagross to use Zen Headbutt, the Iron Leg Pokémon's head glowing blue as it shot towards Regigigas like a missile. It hit the Colossal Pokémon hard, pushing it back and making it flinch; Koya then had it follow up with both Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash, both of them hitting Regigigas hard as it attempted to attack. Minun began desperately cheering for Regigigas to stay strong as Koya called for a Hammer Arm. Metagross went flying towards Regigigas, one of its arms glowing white as it prepared to attack.

Suddenly, Regigigas' body became surrounded in a maroon aura, the pattern on its face turning the same color as it caught Metagross with a Confuse Ray! Although it briefly seemed to work, Metagross managed to get out of its confusion easily and went to attack with Hammer Arm again. Before it could strike, Regigigas suddenly grabbed two of its arms with both of its own, its Slow Start ability wearing off! Its body began to glow orange-yellow, waves of the glow starting to come down onto Metagross. It then pushed Metagross into the ground with great force, completing its Crush Grip attack.

Although it was a powerful attack, Metagross floated up out of the large crater it had created, still seeming to be ready for more. Koya called for a Psychic attack, the 'X' on Metagross' forehead glowing light blue as a multicolored shadow came out from behind it and covered Regigigas, hurting it. Regigigas managed to free itself from the attack and struck Metagross with a sudden Fire Punch. Knowing that most of Regigigas' moves were physical, Koya called for Metagross to use Iron Defense, the Iron Leg Pokémon's body glowing white as its defenses increased.

Koya then called for another Bullet Punch, Metagross spinning around on its side while striking Regigigas. When it finished, Regigigas caught it off-guard with Revenge, slamming its massive fist into Metagross' face. It then used an Ice Punch, which Metagross used Metal Claw to counter. The two attacks held for a moment before they both pushed away from each other. Metagross attempted to finish the battle with a Meteor Mash, but Regigigas' Mega Punch was enough to stop it. It then launched into a Zen Headbutt, Regigigas countering with a Giga Impact. The two attackers met and were engulfed in the resulting explosion, both being pushed back but still managing to land on their feet. After the winds from the explosion subsided, the two opponents looked at each other for several moments before Metagross suddenly lost its footing and fell to the ground with swirls in its eyes. The judge called, "Metagross is unable to battle! Regigigas is the winner! The victory goes to Hareta!"

While the crowd cheered, Hareta looked on in surprise. Even though he had just witnessed it, he could hardly believe he had beaten Koya in a battle. Regigigas turned around to look at him, the boy coming to his senses somewhat and coming over to the Colossal Pokémon before looking over at Koya. The blonde Trainer had come over to his Metagross and, after seeing that it was okay, was thanking it for a good battle, complimenting it on its strength. He then moved his eyes over to look at Hareta, both of them sharing a gaze; after a moment, Koya gave him a friendly smile and a nod. Seeing this, Hareta began to cheer and Regigigas began to pump its fists, now knowing that Koya accepted that he had lost.

**A short while later, the Pokémon Center**

Koya walked through the sliding doors with his Growlithe and began to look around the lobby. He soon spotted Hareta standing in the lobby, near one of the planters, and, after leaving his Pokémon with Nurse Joy, walked over to him. Upon seeing him, Hareta said, "Oh! Koya!" He then noticed Koya's Growlithe running over to him and bent over to pet it.

After a moment, Koya said, "Hey." Hareta looked up at him and noticed that he held out his hand, so he quickly stood up and took it in his own. Koya then said, "That was a good battle back there. You did a good job raising your Pokémon."

After they released hands, Hareta said, "Thanks, Koya. Still, you almost beat me."

Koya replied, "But you won, and that's the point." He then hardened his gaze somewhat and said, "Tomorrow is the final round. And you already have a good idea about who you're going up against."

Hareta nodded, "Right. Lance, the current Johto champion."

Koya spoke, "The battle today should've given you a good idea of what to expect tomorrow. He's likely going to be especially prepared for you; you're going to need to bring your best attacks and most unexpected strategies if you want to have a good chance of winning this." Hareta nodded and glanced up at the tournament board. Tomorrow was going to be an exciting but challenging day indeed…

* * *

Hey guys. You know, I was planning to write something for a Christmas-related story, but the plans fell through. It's hardly worthy of being called something Christmas-y, but I hope this makes up for the time I kept you all waiting.

For anyone confused about the chapter title, it's a reference to both Hareta and Koya. Hareta is possibly derived from either "hare" (clear weather) or "hareta" (cleared up, become clear or sunny), while Koya contains "kō," which means light.

Music:

Crushed, But Trying to Stay Strong - Revealed Truth (Final Fantasy X)

Renewed Spirit - Proof of Courage (Megaman Battle Network 2)

Let's Hope Third Time's the Charm - Sunset Colosseum (Pokémon Battle Revolution)

Empoleon vs. Mamoswine - Masker (Bomberman 64: The Second Attack!)

Regigigas vs. Metagross - Greevil/Final Battle (Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness)

Acknowledging Hareta's Strength - A Meeting and Parting (Pokémon Anime Sound Collection)

One More Battle Left... - Lance's Theme (Pokémon Stadium 2)


	51. A Dragonite And a Champion

**Silver Town Main Stadium**

Hareta stood in the Trainer's box on one side of the field, his arms at his sides and Minun, Sneasel, and Misdreavus next to him, while Lance stood on the opposite side of the field, his arms crossed. As they were waiting for the signal to begin, the announcer was talking, "This is absolutely it, folks! The last battle of the Johto League Silver Conference! On the green side, we have Hareta, who has made it this far with a combination of fierce attacks and unexpected strategies! On the red side is the current Johto champion, Lance, the Dragon-type master, who has held the title for three years! The curtains have risen for this fateful encounter!"

Up in the stands, Gold, Kotone, Mitsumi, Jun, Cynthia, Amanda, Dr. Kiyoshi, Ninetales, Professor Rowan, Plusle, and Hareta's parents were sitting in the front row, looking out at the middle of the field while Jessie, James, and Meowth were once again filming further up in the stands. Koya was also watching the battle, standing to the side in one of the stadium entryways with his Growlithe; the boy with the red attire was also standing in one of the entryways, as he had done for the entire tournament. Unbeknownst to everyone, the embodiment of the north wind, Suicune, was secretly watching the battle as well, watching from where the ceremonial torch was so it had less chance of being seen.

Mitsumi spoke, "Facing off against a champion in the final round… If things had been different back at the Sinnoh tournament, either Hareta or Koya would've faced off against you, Cynthia."

Cynthia nodded, "Yes. I would've stayed in the tournament had there been a decisive outcome between Hareta and Koya back then."

Jun asked, "Is that why you withdrew after their battle? Because you didn't think it was right to battle with someone who hadn't settled their previous battle?" Cynthia responded with a nod.

Kotone turned to Gold, saying, "I overheard you talking with Hareta earlier this morning, Gold. It sounded like you were saying something important. Were you?"

Gold replied, "Not really. I was just telling him that my battle with Lance should be really helpful to him. I wish I would've won, obviously, but I feel a little better knowing that my battle could be helpful to Hareta in some way. That's all I really said to him." Kotone nodded, knowing that Gold was telling the truth.

Dr. Kiyoshi rubbed Ninetales' head as he said, "Hareta is certainly going to have his hands full with this battle, Ninetales. But we'll be sure to cheer for him and his Pokémon just like Plusle, Minun, and Misdreavus will be doing, right?" Ninetales smiled and nodded, though secretly she wished she could be down there on the field and battle for him, or at least be close to him during the battle. But she knew she couldn't battle for him since he never captured her, and she didn't want to make it seem like he kept lots of Pokémon around him at all times. Although she did have a sneaking suspicion that Misdreavus wanted to be down there cheering for Hareta since it meant she could be close to him.

With the announcements finished, Hareta and Lance were given the signal to begin. Lance chose first, sending out his Garchomp as his first Pokémon. Hareta remembered from the few times he had seen Cynthia's Garchomp that they tended to be fast and physically powerful. He also remembered, from looking it up in his Pokédex, that it was a Dragon and Ground-type, meaning Ice-type moves would be extremely effective against it. So Hareta turned to look down at Sneasel and asked, "Hey Sneasel, do you feel like leading off this time?" The young girl gave him a happy squeal and dashed out onto the field, raising her claws as she prepared for battle.

Since they had already exchanged battle greetings back when they entered the stadium, Lance decided to take the initiative, telling Garchomp to use Swords Dance. The Mach Pokémon responded by crossing its arms, both of them glowing blue and seeming to become slightly thicker. Hareta called for Sneasel to use Icy Wind, the Sharp Claw Pokémon blowing a beam of wind with sparkling blue snow in it out of her mouth at Garchomp. Because of the position it was in, Garchomp was hardly affected by the attack, though it did feel slightly slower than normal. Lance then called for a Dragon Claw, Garchomp's hand claws glowing slightly blue as it shot towards Sneasel. In desperation, Hareta called for Sneasel to use Agility, the Sharp Claw Pokémon barely managing to evade the Mach Pokémon as it slid to a halt after missing. Hareta could easily see that the best way to stop Garchomp would be to lessen the difference between its speed and Sneasel's.

Garchomp began to fly after Sneasel, its claws held back as it went in for a Slash attack. Sneasel yelped and attempted to counter with a Metal Claw, but the stronger Garchomp pushed through her glowing white claws and sent her flying across the grass field. Before she hit the ground, Sneasel turned slightly in midair and managed to roll on her side when she landed, reducing the damage slightly. She then shot towards Garchomp, hitting it with a sudden Quick Attack, which messed up its flying and forced it to land rather awkwardly. Sneasel then launched an Ice Beam at Garchomp, but the Mach Pokémon quickly got up and dug a claw into the ground, bringing it up and throwing dirt in a Sand-Attack. It was enough to keep the Ice Beam from reaching Garchomp and it quickly shot towards Sneasel again, this time catching her with a Crunch attack.

Sneasel fell to the ground after being released from Garchomp's mouth, but she pushed herself up, determined to keep going. As she was getting up, Garchomp jumped away and used Dig, disappearing underground; although Sneasel moved around, it resurfaced underneath her a few moments later, sending her upwards. While they were both in the air, Sneasel raised her hands and formed a light blue block of ice between them, creating an Ice Shard that hit Garchomp hard on the side of its face.

After they landed, Sneasel leapt at Garchomp's face, slashing at it with a Fury Swipes attack. After she leapt away, however, Garchomp caught her off-guard with a Sand Tomb, slashing the air and sending sand flying around Sneasel. After a minute, she used an Icy Wind to cut through the sand, only to be struck by a Dragon Claw, which sent her flopping across the field. After she stopped on the grass, she sat up and saw Garchomp coming towards her in a Dragon Rush. Moving quickly, Sneasel got up and leapt up into the air, spinning as she got above the light blue aura surrounding Garchomp. She then landed on its back and curled her right claws into a fist, an orb of pale blue light surrounding it. Before Garchomp could try to shake her off, Sneasel slammed her fist into its back as an Ice Punch, causing a layer of ice to form along it. Garchomp landed on the ground hard while Sneasel leapt away and landed on her feet, panting and sweating a bit. Garchomp managed to stand up and break the ice off of its back by flexing, but before it could try to use a Dragon Rage attack, it suddenly wobbled and fell over, swirls forming in its eyes. Seeing this, the judge called, "Garchomp is unable to battle! Sneasel is the winner!"

While Sneasel cheered and leapt into Hareta's arms for a hug, Lance recalled Garchomp, smiling to himself. After a minute more, he sent out his second Pokémon, Altaria! After Sneasel got back on the field, Hareta called for an Ice Beam, the Sharp Claw Pokémon firing a light blue beam at Altaria. Lance called for it to counter with a Dragonbreath attack, the Humming Pokémon firing a thick, green air beam out of its mouth. The two attacks met for a moment before Dragonbreath overpowered the Ice Beam and struck Sneasel, sending her flying back.

Sneasel managed to get up, shaking off some of the aftereffects of the hit, but soon fell back down as Altaria began to use Sing, the Humming Pokémon singing a soothing melody while transparent circles were sent out of its mouth, which began to affect Sneasel. Hareta, Minun, and some of the people sitting in the front row were starting to feel a little sleepy as well. While Sneasel was dozing on the grass, Altaria surrounded its body in flames and went in for a Sky Attack! It flew right into Sneasel, creating a large explosion and sending the Sharp Claw Pokémon flying. When she landed, she had swirls in her eyes, so the judge called, "Sneasel is unable to battle! Altaria is the winner!"

Hareta recalled Sneasel and thanked her for battling before looking back at Altaria. He briefly thought about sending out Empoleon next, but then changed his mind and sent out Scizor instead. Up in the stands, Amanda turned to Mitsumi and asked, "I've never seen his Scizor before now. Do you think it will be all right against an Altaria?"

Mitsumi replied, "I don't know. I've only seen it once, and that was when it was still a Scyther. But being part Steel-type, it should have a bit of an advantage, so long as Lance didn't teach his Altaria any Fire-type moves."

Back on the field, Lance began by calling for a Peck attack, Altaria flying towards Scizor with its beak in front of it. Hareta called for an Iron Defense, Scizor's body glowing white as it was outlined in blue, the added defense greatly reducing the damage from the Peck and causing Altaria to bounce back. While it was stunned, Hareta called for a Metal Claw, Scizor striking Altaria's body with a glowing white claw.

Seeing that Scizor's defenses would be hard to get through, Lance called for Altaria to use Dragon Dance, the Humming Pokémon swinging its wings around like a ballerina would. Hareta called for a Razor Wind, hoping to catch Altaria off-guard, but it easily shot down the multiple white crescent-shaped beams with a well aimed Dragon Pulse. It then used Mist to create a thick white cloud around it, making it hard to see. While Scizor looked around, trying to see find it, Altaria suddenly caught it by surprise with an Astonish attack! It did this several times before Scizor used another Razor Wind to make some of the Mist part and, upon seeing Altaria, attacked it with a Night Slash.

After recovering from the slash, Altaria began to charge up a Heat Wave attack, a white flame forming in its mouth. It then released it as a round orange flame that went flying towards Scizor, who used Quick Attack to dodge it and strike Altaria before it could move. Unfortunately, almost immediately after it was hit, Altaria fought back by hitting Scizor with a Dragonbreath, knocking it to the ground. After hitting the ground, Scizor struggled to get up, a slight sparking being visible as it got up, indicating it was paralyzed. Despite this, Hareta could tell it still wanted to battle, so he decided to let it keep going for now.

Scizor attempted to use Swords Dance, but the paralysis kept it from moving, allowing Altaria to score a clean hit with Dragon Pulse. When it went in for another Heat Wave, Scizor managed to move and used Agility to help compensate for its reduced speed. When it stopped on the field, Altaria attempted to catch it with a Hyper Beam, but thanks to the Agility, Scizor was able to narrowly avoid the orange beam and leapt up at Altaria, hitting it with a Slash attack. While they were still close, Scizor followed up with an Iron Head attack, its body being surrounded by a white aura as it slammed into Altaria. Afterwards, Scizor fell to its knees after landing while Altaria landed hard with swirls in its eyes. The judge called, "Altaria is unable to battle! Scizor is the winner!"

Lance recalled Altaria and, after putting its Poké Ball away, called to Hareta, "In all of my battles so far, you and Gold are the only Trainers who have managed to defeat two of my Pokémon, Hareta. A few Trainers were lucky enough to defeat one, but none of them could ever manage to get any farther. I must say I've been waiting this whole competition for good battlers like the two of you." He then brought out a Poké Ball and said, "Don't disappoint me now!" He then sent out his final Pokémon, his Dragonite!

Hareta led off by calling for a Night Slash, one of Scizor's claws glowing purple as it flew towards Dragonite, who retaliated with a Wing Attack. They pushed against each other a minute before they were both pushed away. Scizor then attacked with a Metal Claw while Dragonite used an Aqua Tail; again, the two attacks met and held until, suddenly, Scizor's paralysis kicked in and it lost its strength, allowing Dragonite to easily smack it away. After recovering, Scizor went in for a Double Hit, its claws glowing purple as it tried to hit Dragonite with them. Dragonite was able to block both hits and then brought a fist back, swinging it into Scizor's face in a Fire Punch! Scizor quickly fell to the ground with swirls in its eyes, the judge declaring, "Scizor is unable to battle! Dragonite is the winner!"

Hareta quickly recalled Scizor and stood there for a moment, thinking. Minun and Misdreavus both looked at him, wondering if something was wrong. Lance, after looking at him for a moment, called to him, "I never give up, no matter what. I assume you are the same?"

Hareta looked up and grinned, "You got it! We're not finished yet!" He then brought out a Poké Ball and threw it, sending out his Empoleon for his last Pokémon! Lance began by calling for a Thunder attack from Dragonite, which Empoleon easily dodged by using Aqua Jet. Lance then called for a Fire Blast while Hareta called for a Hydro Pump, the two attacks colliding and holding for a moment before they both exploded. Dragonite then burst through the smoke from the explosion in a Dragon Rush, Empoleon raising his wings in an 'X' shape to defend himself with a Metal Claw. Dragonite slammed into the guard, pushing Empoleon back a few feet before he found a stable footing and kept Dragonite from pushing him any farther, causing the light blue aura surrounding Dragonite to dissipate, though it continued to push against Empoleon.

The two Pokémon glared at each other, both pushing as hard as they could. Suddenly, Dragonite brought an arm back, its fist being surrounded by electricity as it prepared a ThunderPunch! Empoleon moved one wing, the rims of both wings still glowing white, to intercept it while he attacked Dragonite with the other. The attack knocked Dragonite back a bit; Empoleon was feeling a slight tingling in his wing after having been in contact with that ThunderPunch, but he hadn't been paralyzed yet.

After recovering from the hit to its face, Dragonite unleashed a Twister, creating a tornado by flapping its wings. Empoleon countered with an Ice Beam, the light blue beams holding the tornado back before being overpowered, the attack hitting Empoleon hard. The Emperor Pokémon was quick to get up, though, and was able to dodge a Fire Blast that Dragonite launched at him. Lance then called for a Fire Punch, Dragonite flying towards Empoleon with a fist cloaked in flames while Hareta called for a Drill Peck. Because of Empoleon's spinning, he managed to avoid the punch and hit Dragonite immediately afterwards, sending it backwards.

After stopping, Dragonite quickly charged up energy for a Hyper Beam and fired the orange beam at Empoleon. It came fast, hitting Empoleon's side as he tried to get out of its way, which caused him to get pushed back and fall on the ground. He managed to get back up and hit Dragonite with a Hydro Pump while it was recovering from the shot. The attack knocked it off balance, but Dragonite had no trouble standing up straight.

Afterwards, Dragonite used Dragonbreath, releasing a thick green beam of air at Empoleon, who made no effort to dodge it, instead taking the attack head-on. Dragonite then attacked with its most powerful move, Draco Meteor; an orange ball formed in its mouth, which it sent towards the sky, where it exploded into multiple orange spheres that were aimed at Empoleon! Again, Empoleon did nothing to try to stop or evade the hit and they soon hit their target, creating a large explosion! Anyone who wasn't already standing up was now, waiting to see what happened as Hareta looked on with a blank expression…

Then he grinned and called, "Empoleon, attack now!" At his call, Empoleon suddenly burst out of the cloud surrounded by a dark blue aura, surprising everyone! The Emperor Pokémon moved so fast that Dragonite didn't have a chance of getting away and found itself facing all the power Empoleon had stored up in his Bide attack! Empoleon slammed into Dragonite, pushing it for several moments before another explosion erupted, sending them both flying. After they landed, they both stood up, panting hard as they faced each other, both of them standing by sheer will alone.

After about a minute of this, Dragonite began to wobble and suddenly fell over, unable to stand up again. After a moment, the judge declared, "Dragonite is unable to battle! Empoleon and Hareta are the winners of this battle and the tournament!" All of a sudden, the entire stadium erupted in cheers and applause while Hareta, along with Minun and Misdreavus, dashed over to Empoleon, who looked like he was about to fall over, and got under one of his wings, helping him support his weight.

Up in the stands, Mitsumi muttered, "He did it… He really beat Lance."

Gold turned to her and asked, "Don't you mean they beat Lance? He didn't do it alone, after all!" Mitsumi smiled, knowing that was true and joined in cheering with everyone else. After a moment more, Ninetales leapt down onto the field and ran over to Hareta, who by now had helped Empoleon stand up okay, standing on her hind legs as she gave him a hug to congratulate him.

She let go as Lance and his Dragonite came over to Hareta and Empoleon, both sides looking back at each other. After a moment of silence, Lance spoke, "It's over. But it's a strange feeling. I'm not angry that I lost." He then smiled at Hareta as he said, "In fact, I feel happy. Happy that I could battle against such a powerful Trainer!" He held a hand out as he said, "Congratulations, Hareta. You have truly become powerful. Your Pokémon have responded to your strong and upstanding nature. As a Trainer, I am sure you will continue to grow stronger with them." After he finished, Hareta took his hand, thanking him for his kind words, while Empoleon and Dragonite did likewise, grinning respectfully at each other.

Their attention was suddenly drawn to the side of the field as DJ Mary ran onto the field with an anxious look on her face. When she reached the two Trainers and their Pokémon, she cried, "Oh no! It's already over! Professor Oak, if you weren't so slow…"

Hareta looked past her to see Professor Oak coming towards them as well. When he reached Mary, he spoke, "Ah, Hareta! It's been a while since we met at Violet City. You certainly look more mature. You should be proud; your love, trust, and dedication for your Pokémon made your victory possible. They responded to those feelings and they persevered because they believed in you as a Trainer and friend. Congratulations, Hareta!"

Hareta smiled, "Thanks, Professor Oak. But did you hear about Gold?"

The professor nodded, "Yes, I heard. But I am sure it will be essential to his growth, knowing that there is plenty to be learned from every experience."

DJ Mary suddenly shoved a microphone in front of Hareta's face, startling him as she asked, "Can we get a few words from the winner of the Johto League Silver Conference? Millions of fans out there want to hear from you, Hareta!"

Before Hareta could say anything, Lance came behind him and gripped his shoulder, saying, "I believe this stadium is beginning to get a bit too noisy… Could I get you to come with me, Hareta?" The boy nodded and began to follow Lance and his Dragonite, with Empoleon, Misdreavus, Minun, and Ninetales following as well. They kept walking despite Mary groaning about how they hadn't done the interview, Professor Oak unable to hold back a chuckle at Mary's behavior.

They were about to get off the field through one of the entryways when a group of photographers suddenly poured out of it, asking for pictures! "Argh, these tabloids probably have the whole stadium surrounded…" Lance groaned.

Hareta weakly grinned, "Guess there's no way out of it, then…"

**Later that night…**

Koya was walking out of the Pokémon Center, where there was a big celebration being held for everyone who had attended, with his Growlithe, ready to get back on the road. Suddenly, the doors slid open again and he stopped and turned around when he heard Hareta call, "Hey Koya!" The boy and his Minun ran up to him, stopping and asking, "See you at another tournament or something?"

The older boy didn't reply for a moment, making Hareta wonder if something was wrong, before he smiled, "Yeah. Count on it." Both Hareta and Minun smiled at that, Growlithe also smiling at Koya's response. Koya and Growlithe then continued walking, Koya giving Hareta a simple, "Later."

Hareta and Minun waved to them, Hareta calling, "See ya, Koya!" Both Hareta and Minun continued looking in the direction Koya and Growlithe were walking for several moments, even after they left their sights. They then heard the sound of footsteps coming towards them and looked to the side, down one of the roads. They both saw the boy with the red attire, this time with his Pikachu on his shoulder. He seemed to be looking at them as though he was interested in Hareta's strength…

**A few minutes later, inside the Pokémon Center**

"It's incredible, isn't it, Kaisei? Hareta is so young and he's already so accomplished!" Johanna was saying to her husband.

Kaisei nodded, "You said it, Johanna. And the photography people were nice enough to give us two sets of the pictures they took, so now we'll never forget this day!" He then looked through the pictures himself. The pictures included a photo of Hareta and Lance with Empoleon and Dragonite, a shot of all of Hareta's Pokémon, and a picture of Hareta and Ninetales standing together with a forest and Mt. Silver in the background. Afterwards, he put them in his vest pocket, saying, "We'll keep a set for ourselves while Hareta can take anything he wants from the other set. Sound good?" Johanna nodded and they both went over to Professor Oak, Professor Rowan, and Amanda to join in on the conversation.

Hareta and Minun came in shortly afterwards and they noticed Kotone standing near the entrance, seemingly preoccupied by something. They walked over and Hareta asked, "Is something wrong, Kotone? You look a little… I don't know, out there."

Kotone turned to him and said, "Oh, I was just thinking about what we should do next. I mean, Gold still seems to be upset about what happened and I've been wondering if there's anything I can do to cheer him up."

Hareta replied, "Oh. Do you have any ideas?"

Kotone answered, "I was thinking that maybe a short vacation followed by some kind of trip might help him. But that's the problem. I've figured out a good place to go for a holiday, but the second part is what I'm having trouble figuring out. I mean, I guess just a vacation could work, but I think he'd like to do some more traveling before going home."

Hareta thought for a moment before he said, "Hey that reminds me. I just heard about this great idea for a journey. Wanna hear it?" Kotone nodded and, when Hareta held up a hand to the side of his face, bent down next to him. He then whispered what he was thinking into her ear.

When he finished, Kotone smiled, "That's a great idea, Hareta! I'm sure Gold will like it too! You leave everything to me; I'll take care of everything necessary for it. Just don't mention anything about this to Gold. I'll sort of spring the idea on him when the party starts winding down." Hareta nodded and the three of them went back to rejoin the festivities.

The party lasted long into the night, but come the following morning, a new journey would begin.

* * *

Well, this is it. The end of the Johto League Silver Conference arc. After the next chapter, I'll be moving onto the Kanto Gym Leader arc. It will likely be somewhat different from the rest of the story. There might be fewer chapters dedicated to Gym battles, instead focusing on other things.

Obviously, this chapter's name is a play on the title of the last chapter in the RBG Chapter in Pokémon Special.

I have some ideas for new Pokémon stories lined up that I may start soon, but this fic will still be my main project.

Music:

The Final Round: Hareta vs. Lance - Area 1 (Blaster Master)

Sneasel vs. Garchomp - Gym Leader/Elite Four Battle (Pokémon Stadium)

Scizor vs. Altaria - Poké Cup Final Battle (Pokémon Stadium)

Empoleon vs. Dragonite - Red Battle (Pokémon Stadium 2)

Victory! - Total War (Pokémon Anime Sound Collection)

Rivals Part Once More - Cup Victory (Pokémon Stadium 2)

Preparing For a New Journey - Last Five Turns (Mario Party 4)


	52. City of Water Vacation

**The ocean south of the Johto region and east of the Hoenn region**

"Yay! This is fun!" Hareta cheered as he played with Sneasel and Minun. He, along with Gold, Kotone, Ninetales, Mitsumi, and Jun, was currently on a ship that was bound for a popular city in the Johto region. The group was going for a short holiday before they began their new journey, as Kotone wanted to give Gold some time to recuperate after his loss.

Gold and some of his Pokémon were relaxing near the pool at the back of the ship, Jun was checking out some of the girls on the deck, and Mitsumi, Kotone, and Ninetales were standing near one of the guardrails. Mitsumi was leaning against it with her arms crossed while both Kotone and Ninetales were looking out over the water. Mitsumi sighed, "I guess being a champion only helps make someone enthusiastic. Hareta is about as energetic as ever."

Kotone turned to her and said, "Relax, Mitzi. I can't imagine what Hareta would be like if he wasn't energetic. Sure, he gets in trouble sometimes because of it, but it also helps him when there's trouble, right?"

Mitsumi replied, "Yeah, I suppose you have a point. Still, I hope he can be just a little calmer while we're on vacation. I've heard there's a real glass market where we're going, and if he goes wild like a Tauros in a China shop, I'm not paying the bill."

Kotone giggled, "Come on, Mitsumi. If he didn't do that when he was traveling around with you through Sinnoh, what are the chances he's going to do it now? Granted, I don't know how much he did back then, but I'm sure he's much calmer now than he used to be. I'm sure he'll behave without having to be told to."

Mitsumi was about to say something when Hareta suddenly cried, "Whoa!" The girls and Gold turned in his direction at this, seeing he had tripped while carrying Sneasel when his hands were above his head, sending her flying while he fell. Gold was about to try to grab her when he noticed where she was headed. While Hareta landed hard on his face, Minun checking to see if he was okay, Sneasel made a splash as she landed in the pool. She soon resurfaced with a happy look on her face; after he got back up, Hareta came over to the pool and bent down near her, asking, "Did you like that, Sneasel? Was it fun?" Sneasel happily chimed that it was, Minun cheering and Gold giving a light snicker at that.

Kotone and Ninetales came over, Mitsumi coming up behind them as Kotone said, "Nice toss, Hareta. Did you mean to trip like that?"

Hareta giggled, "Yeah!" He then cuddled Minun, who had jumped onto his shoulder, while he gave Ninetales a friendly pat, Sneasel swimming all the while.

Mitsumi sighed as she stood next to Hareta, "Look Hareta, I know you're having some fun with your Pokémon, but could you at least occasionally act like you just won a big tournament? Typically, champions are supposed to carry themselves with dignity and restraint, and right now I'm not seeing either."

Hareta sat down and said, "Okay, Mitsumi. Still, I don't see what the big deal is. I get what a great honor it is to win a tournament and all that, but is everything that comes with it really necessary? What's the point of giving someone a cup that's so large that you can't carry it around without it being dead weight? You can't even put water in it! Personally, I prefer the Gym Badges; they look so much cooler and they're easier to carry."

Kotone grinned, amused, "I think it's pretty clear that you don't get it. It's just meant to be a symbol of your accomplishments up to that point. It's not supposed to be something you can carry around with you. That's why they keep them in the Hall of Fame." She then noticed Gold had turned his attention to the sky, watching his Beedrill and Pidgeot flying around, though he seemed to be looking beyond them as well, as if trying to find something that wasn't there. She frowned to herself; Gold definitely needed this little holiday.

Jun noticed everyone gathered near the pool and came over, asking, "Hey, what's going on here, guys?"

Gold glanced over at him and called, "Nothing really interesting, Jun. Mostly idle chitchat. We're not really talking about anything in particular."

Jun nodded, "I see. Say, what do you suppose that Amanda girl is up to now? Didn't she say something about going back to a region that's really far away or something?"

Mitsumi replied, "Yeah, something like that. I didn't really catch the name of it. It must be really far away if I don't know what she was talking about, though."

Gold joked, "Well, I'm sure you'll start looking into it at some point; that's the kind of thing I'd expect a representative of 'Club Serious' to do." Mitsumi began to fume at him for calling her that while everyone else got a little laugh out of it.

Hareta turned to Ninetales and said, "Dr. Kiyoshi really seemed to understand when you told him you wanted to keep traveling with us when we parted at the docks. Do you think he'll be all right traveling by himself while he does whatever this practice thing is that he was talking about?"

Ninetales replied, "(I'm sure he'll be fine. He used to travel around before I met him, so he knows how to handle being on the road. And since he's a doctor, he can usually handle unexpected emergencies well. Can something similar be said for the others?)"

Hareta answered, "I think so. I heard that Professor Oak used to travel when he was younger, so he should be okay. Cynthia travels a lot, so she'll be okay while she's doing more research in Johto. And my dad usually does a lot of traveling on his own. So unless Jessie, James, and Meowth find some sort of trouble, I think everyone will be fine."

Ninetales asked, "(Why do you suppose those three agreed to help your grandfather around his lab? I thought they would keep the jobs they had; they seemed so enthusiastic about what they were doing and everything.)" Hareta shrugged, since he wasn't entirely sure either.

Suddenly, Jun said, "Hey guys, check it out! I can see our destination!" At that, everyone looked in the direction the ship was moving and ran up towards the front of the ship, looking over the guardrails on the sides. They could see an isolated island up ahead that had many Gothic-style buildings and roads of water.

"Wow, that's Alto Mare?" Hareta asked, excited.

Kotone nodded, "That's right, Hareta. There may not be anything going on during our time here, but we're sure to have a great vacation all the same."

A short while later, the ship reached the city, docking at the harbor. The group stayed together as they merged with the other passengers getting off. They quickly walked through the city, searching for the local Pokémon Center; after finding it and checking in, they left a few things in their rooms and met at the front doors, where Mitsumi handed everyone except Ninetales a guide book of Alto Mare. "This is just in case anyone gets separated. We'll be able to meet up back here without any difficulties," she explained.

Kotone asked, "Wait, are you saying we're going to be sticking together?" At Mitsumi's nod, she complained, "Come on, Mitsumi! We're supposed to be on vacation! Vacation means some of us doing some things on our own! We should just explore the city mostly on our own today, maybe checking out a few of the smaller locales, and save all the big stuff for another day so we can all go together then."

Mitsumi replied, "Well, I guess that's a good idea, but-"

Kotone cut her off, "Great!" She then grabbed Gold's arm and began to pull him, saying, "Come on, Gold! Let's go see if we can get a gondola ride together!" She began to pull him down the street, Gold blushing a bit throughout.

Jun came up beside Mitsumi and put an arm around her shoulder, saying, "What do you say we go check out a gondola later? Maybe when there's a romantic sunset in the sky?"

Mitsumi glared at him without turning her head and said, "Remove your arm unless you want me to do it for you. And I can guarantee that it won't be painless." Jun promptly took his arm off of her shoulder, letting it rest by his side.

Hareta turned to Ninetales and asked, "You wanna come and explore with me?"

Ninetales replied, "(Of course. I would've followed you anyway.)" They, along with Minun and Sneasel, headed in the opposite direction that Gold and Kotone had gone, leaving Jun and Mitsumi alone and unsure what to do next.

The two stood in silence for a minute, the only sound being Jun flipping through his guide book. Eventually, he stopped on a page and spoke up, "Hey, looks like there's a pretty popular ice cream parlor around here. It's not too far from where we are now, either." He glanced over at Mitsumi as he asked, "Feel like checking it out with me?" Mitsumi hesitated for a moment before replying that she'd like to, the two friends walking down a nearby street.

**A little later, with Hareta, Minun, Sneasel, and Ninetales**

Hareta and his Pokémon companions were browsing a street that had many glassware shops, all of them being careful not to accidentally break anything, especially Ninetales. Since she had all of those long tails that went all over, she had to keep them under control to avoid knocking anything over. "Wow, everything looks so shiny in the sunlight. This must be some really awesome glass!" Hareta said as they examined a table containing miniature glass Pokémon figures.

"(Perhaps it is. You have to be extremely cautious of humans who pass something off as high-quality when it's actually not,)" Ninetales murmured, looking at everything carefully. They continued browsing the stalls for a while before going to a small area with benches and a water fountain for Pokémon. Hareta let Minun and Sneasel play under the water for a little while before he turned it off and they sat on a bench to rest.

After a bit, they got up and headed over to one of the archways to get back on one of the streets. Before they could step out onto it, a teenage boy ran in front of the archway, stopping and turning back in the direction he had come. He had silver-blue hair and red eyes and was wearing a blue rider cap with a pair of goggles on the brim. He also had on a blue jacket that was unzipped, showing a white shirt underneath, black jeans that had a chain in one pocket, black fingerless gloves that had a spot of blue on the knuckles, and brown shoes.

After a moment, he turned around and resumed running, a little girl no taller than Hareta appearing soon afterwards. She had pink hair that covered the back of her head, a white headband, gold-yellow eyes, a red minidress that had white half circles on the sides near the bottom, pink arm bracelets, and a pair of white sandals on. She seemed to be chasing after the boy in a playful way. Unnoticed by Hareta and his little group, who headed in the opposite direction the two were running in, she stopped and turned around after she passed them, looking at Hareta until she turned around and saw the older boy waving to her. She then continued running after him.

A short while later, the small group was walking near one of the canals when they saw the little girl on a bridge up ahead, waving to them. They waved back, at which point she ran across the bridge to the other side of the canal and down a nearby alley. Although they were all confused, Hareta decided to follow her and ran to the bridge, crossing it quickly and heading down the alley, his Pokémon friends following behind. Reaching the end of the alley, they found the girl standing on one of the pathways over the water, seeming to be waiting for them. As soon as she saw them, she turned around and started running again.

This continued for some time until the girl led them under an iron arch that had ivy growing on it. They followed her under it, walking between two iron fences that also had ivy growing on them. The path emptied out into what seemed to be a dead-end that only had a small fountain where some Pidgey were relaxing in the water. Looking to the side, Hareta spotted the girl standing near one of the walls, but after a moment, she turned and ran through the wall like there was nothing there! "Wha…? How'd she do that?" Hareta asked.

Ninetales walked up to the wall and sniffed it. "(Strange… It feels as though there's a breeze coming from the other side,)" she said. She brought one of her tails forward, the tail passing right through the wall. "(Must be an illusion of sorts,)" she concluded as she stepped through the wall herself, Hareta, Minun, and Sneasel quickly following after her. After a bit more walking, they began to see light from up ahead and went towards it, finding it was coming through a stone arch. Stepping through it, everyone gasped. "(Oh my…)" Ninetales whispered.

They were standing in a large garden filled with many trees, bushes, and flowers. There was a stone walk snaking around the garden, two sets of stone steps in front of them to lead them down into the garden. Looking down, they saw the girl waiting for them near the bottom of the second set of stairs, pushing herself up and down on her feet with her arms behind her back. They came down the stairs and were about to approach her when, suddenly, the teenage boy from earlier appeared in front of her! He glared at them angrily and was about to approach them when the little girl ran in front of him and pushed against him slightly with her hands, looking up at him with a pleading look. They stayed like this for several minutes, which confused Hareta, Minun, and Sneasel. Minun looked over at Ninetales and asked, "(Do you know what they're doing?)"

Ninetales replied, "(I'm going to guess that they're communicating via telepathy. That's the only thing I can think of.)"

Sneasel looked back at them, asking, "(But what could they be talking about? She led us here, didn't she?)" Ninetales offered no reply, watching to see what would happen.

After a few minutes, the boy seemed to calm down and the girl took her hands off of him. They both came over to the group, standing before them. Hareta spoke first, "Um, hello. Sorry if we intruded or anything like that. Where are we, anyway?" The two stood there for a moment longer before they were both suddenly engulfed in a bright light, surprising the group further. When the glow faded, two similar looking Pokémon were floating above where the two had been moments ago. Hareta, although shocked, looked at the red one and said, "Hey, I know you! You're Latias!" The Eon Pokémon gave a happy cry at that and flew over to him, snuggling against his chest.

Ninetales turned to the other Pokémon and said, "(And you must be Latios, correct? Like Hareta said, we're sorry if we angered you in any way.)"

Latios smiled, speaking through telepathy, "It's no trouble, now that I know my sister has met your friend before. I acted hostile because I didn't know who he was. I'm very protective of her, you see; it's part of my nature. Very few people actually know about this secret garden, so that's another reason for me to be cautious."

Hareta asked, "Oh, you can speak through your mind?" When Latios nodded, Hareta turned to Latias and asked, "Can you do that too?"

Latias replied, in her mind, "Mm-hmm! Sorry I had to lead you on like I did, but I didn't want to scare you either. I was just so happy to see you again!"

Latios spoke, "There's another human here too. Would you like to meet her?" Everyone agreed, so Latios and Latias led them along the stone path.

As they walked past a bush, they caught sight of the other human and Hareta gasped at who it was. "Mars?" he exclaimed.

The red-haired woman stood up from the bench she had been sitting on, looking back at Hareta in surprise as she asked, "Hareta?"

**Meanwhile, with Gold and Kotone**

A brown gondola made its way through the canals of Alto Mare at a relaxed pace, perfect for sightseeing or couples. Gold and Kotone were sitting close together as it went, Kotone's Croconaw working the oar in the back while Gold's Pikachu was at the front of the boat, giving Croconaw directions. Earlier, when they found a spot where people could get gondola rides, the man in charge revealed he had no one on hand to take anyone out for rides, though he did say they could borrow one if they could find someone to serve as a gondolier. Hearing this, Kotone asked if they could let their Pokémon do it, which the man reluctantly replied that they could as long as they didn't ruin the boat.

Kotone sighed as she leaned against Gold, "Isn't this nice? Watching all these buildings drift by, the calm sound of the water, seeing all the people and Pokémon enjoy the nice weather… What do you think, Gold?"

Gold, who had been looking at her out of the corner of his eye, looked away and cleared his throat, his face a bit red as he said, "Yeah, it is relaxing. But there's something bugging me." He then looked at Kotone as he said, "Tell me the truth, Kotone. Did you suggest this little trip because of me?"

Kotone, although initially surprised that he had figured it out, pushed off of him and looked at him directly as she said, "Of course I did! You can try to hide it all you want, Gold, but you can't fool me. You're still really upset about what happened at the Silver Conference. I've seen you; you've been looking off into the distance, taking your time eating, and turned down battles with other Trainers ever since that day. I've never seen you do that before; do you have any idea how worried I've been?"

Gold looked at her in surprise, "You were…?" He looked down as he said, "I'm sorry, Kotone. I didn't know I made you worry that much. After all we've been through together, it makes me… uncomfortable to know when I make you worry."

Kotone asked softly, "Do you really mean that, Gold?" At Gold's nod, she said, "That's really sweet of you, Gold. Just knowing that is reason enough for me to forgive you." The two then settled back into their seats, Gold wrapping an arm around Kotone's shoulder as she leaned against him again. Both Pikachu and Croconaw smiled at the way the two Trainers were getting along with each other as they continued their tour.

**Meanwhile, with Mitsumi and Jun**

The two Trainers were seated at a table outside of the ice cream store, enjoying chocolate shakes. While they were drinking their shakes, they filled the silence with some idle chatter, talking about Pokémon and family. It wasn't quite the big date that Jun was going for, but he knew better than to put pressure on Mitsumi and was happy just being able to talk to her casually.

Eventually he said, "When Kotone mentioned that we'll be doing some traveling after we're done here, you seemed to get a bit excited, Mitsumi. I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, but do you mind telling me why?"

Mitsumi looked down for a second before looking back up at him and saying, "I'm not entirely sure. I guess, after all this time spent at home, the idea of having another adventure sounded great to me. I never realized how much I enjoy traveling until Professor Rowan wanted Hareta to search for Dialga."

Jun smiled, "Right. The first big adventure all three of us had. Come to think of it, I noticed Hareta seems to be a little different nowadays. Like he's more mature or something, I don't know. He just seemed like that throughout the Silver Conference. What do you think?"

Mitsumi replied, "Hmm? I guess so. He still acts like his father, but it does seem like he's grown up a bit since I last saw him. I wonder why?"

Jun shrugged, "Eh, who knows? Unless he really starts to change, I guess it doesn't really matter. Besides, he was happy when he heard we wanted to come with him. We'll all have a lot of fun together on this little trip, right Mitsumi?"

Mitsumi glanced up at him, startled, but she soon smiled, "That's right. Together." Soon afterwards, they finished up their shakes and disposed of the plastic cups in a recycling bin before they began to do some exploring of their own.

**Not too far away, with Hareta, Minun, Sneasel, Mars, and Ninetales**

Hareta and Mars were sitting at a table outside of a café, Ninetales sitting on the ground near Hareta while Sneasel and Minun played nearby. After both of them had gotten over their initial shock back at the secret garden, Mars suggested that they go somewhere else to talk, which Hareta agreed to.

"I didn't expect to see you here in Alto Mare, Mars. Are you friends with Latias and Latios too?" Hareta asked curiously.

"I guess you could say that. I came across that secret garden by chance a few days ago, and it's probably a good thing I did. Latias wasn't feeling well when I found her and Latios, and he was really worried about her. Thankfully, I keep a supply of healing items with me, so I was able to help her recover. She recovered quickly and wanted me to stay for a little while, so I agreed," Mars explained.

"Wow, cool! I can see why she likes you so much!" Hareta exclaimed, causing Mars to blush a bit. He then asked, "By the way, how is everyone doing? Saturn showed up at the Silver Conference, but what about Jupiter and Cyrus?"

Mars replied, "Uh, they've been all right, I guess. I mean, we've all kept in touch since Cyrus disbanded Team Galactic and we all work together when we're called on by the police, but that's about the only time we ever see each other for any sort of extended period of time. That's just how it is, I guess." She then looked at Hareta's eyes and asked, "Hey, did you get contact lenses or something? I seem to remember your eyes being green, not brown."

Hareta replied, "Yeah, I noticed it too. I'm not really sure how it happened, though. Maybe it has something to do with, like, a burst of energy or something."

Mars spoke, "I see. I suppose exposure to a large amount of energy could have an effect like that in a way. Still, that kind of exposure would be dangerous, wouldn't it?"

Hareta shrugged, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Still, I'm just guessing here." They continued talking for several minutes, with Mars getting increasingly uncomfortable as they did. Evidently, it began to show on her face, since Hareta eventually asked, "Uh, Mars? Are you okay?"

She glanced up at him in surprise and uttered, "I… I'm sorry, Hareta, but I have to go now!" She then quickly stood up and ran off, heading down the street. Hareta was surprised by this and stood up, running after her with Ninetales, Sneasel, and Minun following. They followed her around a corner, but when they rounded it, there was no sign of her anywhere.

In a nearby alley, Mars was sitting on the ground with her back against the wall, holding her head in her hands. She moaned to herself, "Why? Why do I feel like this whenever I see him now? What's wrong with me? Am I…? Is it possible…?" She shook her head, "No way. It couldn't be. I don't feel that way about him!" She then sighed as she let her hands drop, "So why can't I get him out of my head?"

She suddenly heard a cry coming from above and looked up to see Latias hovering above her, looking worried. It seemed as though the Eon Pokémon wanted to know what was troubling the former commander. Mars sighed inwardly, not really wanting to involve Latias with her problems. She suddenly looked up as a thought came to her and she asked, "Latias, do you think you could help me with a little problem?" The Eon Pokémon nodded, not sure what the problem was but she was sure she could help Mars with it.

The next several days flew by in a blur for Hareta and his friends. They visited the Alto Mare museum, perused more of the local shops, and enjoyed some of Alto Mare's specialty food. Hareta even showed his friends the secret garden where Latias and Latios lived and they spent some time playing with the two. Every day, Hareta tried to find Mars as they went around the city, but he never managed to find her. He was beginning to suspect that she had left the city because of their encounter.

On the morning of the fourth day, the group headed down to the harbor to board a ferry bound for Vermillion City. Hareta was the last in the group to board, following his Quilava, Sneasel, Misdreavus, and Grovyle towards the ramp. Before he could start up after everyone else, he stopped and turned around at the sound of footsteps behind him. "Mars!" he exclaimed when he saw who it was, causing everyone else to stop and look too. She stopped in front of him and looked down at him in silence. Hareta spoke, "Hey, about that whole thing a few days ago… If it's something I said, I'm sorry. It just really surprised me when you just kind of ran off like that, so-"

He was abruptly cut off when she suddenly crouched down and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug and kissing his cheek! Hareta was caught off-guard at this action, as were some of his companions. Misdreavus, Sneasel, Quilava, and Ninetales looked on in jealousy, Mitsumi's eyes widened in shock, and Jun nearly fell over, his face bright red and his eyes narrowed. This lasted for several seconds before Mars released Hareta, stood up, and ran off again. Hareta wanted to run after her, but he couldn't move much after that, let alone speak.

"Hang on. Was that really the Mars you guys know?" Kotone asked, turning to Jun.

Jun replied, "I don't know. But I do know that I SO wish I was in Hareta's place!" Mitsumi snapped out of her shock at that and glared at him, though he didn't notice due to the fact that his eyes were closed. Hareta stayed where he was for several moments before Gold came up behind and dragged him up onto the ship since it was ready to depart. Figuring things would be pretty tense for a while, Gold decided to drag him all the way to his cabin so they could all get over what they just saw, Hareta's Pokémon and Ninetales following him.

Hareta seemed to snap back to reality while he was being dragged and, when they arrived at his room, he thanked Gold for helping him. Gold replied that it was no problem and he went to find his own cabin while Hareta went into his own with his Pokémon friends. Everything seemed fine when everyone met up later, as even though everyone was thinking about it, nobody brought up what had happened.

About a day later, the ferry docked in Vermilion City, all the passengers getting off the ship. Gold's group was the last to disembark, as everyone had to go back to their rooms and get their supplies, but they still got off timely enough. As they were following the pathway that led to the city, Mitsumi was about to suggest that they visit the Pokémon Center first when Hareta called, "Hey, look over there!" Everyone looked where he was pointing and they were surprised to Suicune standing atop the water! As they went to try to get a closer look, a familiar man in a purple tuxedo appeared as well. Perhaps in fear of attracting any more attention, Suicune turned and dashed across the water, leaping towards Route 11 as everyone got closer.

Before anyone could say anything, Eusine spoke, "That was so close! I thought I could corner Suicune by ambushing it here… But running on the water… is beyond me. Still, I am starting to see a pattern. Suicune prefers water! That means…" He turned around and noticed the group, saying, "Oh, hello again, Hareta, Gold, and Kotone. Sorry I can't stay and meet your new friends right now, but I've got to be going!" And with that, he left the harbor, heading for Vermillion City.

Mitsumi asked, "Who was that guy? He sure seemed weird."

Kotone explained, "His name is Eusine, and he's really interested in catching Suicune. We saw him a couple of times in Johto, usually whenever we saw Suicune."

Jun spoke, "Then he must go wherever Suicune goes if he's here in Kanto. Wonder if he'll ever catch it?"

Gold said, "We'll let him worry about that! Come on, we've got a journey of our own to get started with!" Everyone agreed with him and began making their way to the Pokémon Center, their new journey in Kanto just beginning.

* * *

Yeah, so just a little filler chapter here. Sorry if it seems a little lacking, but I'm a bit tired right now. Plus I'm hoping to finish this story soon so I can get started on the sequel and get to the sequel to my first fic soon. Not to say that I'm going to start rushing this, but just to let you know that I do have ideas for more stories in the works.

A bit of a romance chapter too. Not much, but it's something, right?

Latios and Latias' human appearances are based on the Cool Boy and Cute Girl Trainer designs in Pokémon Battle Revolution.


	53. A Date to Remember

**Route 7, east of Celadon City**

Gold, Pikachu, Kotone, Croconaw, Hareta, Lucario, Mitsumi, Jun, and Ninetales walked along the route, picking up the pace as they began to see Celadon City in the distance. After resting up at the Pokémon Center in Vermillion City and visiting the Pokémon Fan Club, they went to the local Gym, where Hareta and Gold had to deactivate an electric fence to get to Lt. Surge by searching for two switches hidden under trash cans. The Lightning American proved to be a strong Gym Leader, but they were able to work together to defeat his Raichu, Electrode, Electabuzz, and Magneton, at which point he congratulated them for their tight teamwork, adding that cooperation between team members was essential to have on the battlefield, and awarded them the Thunder Badge.

Afterwards, they headed north towards Saffron City to visit the largest city in Kanto and challenge the Saffron Gym. Reaching the Gym Leader, Sabrina, wasn't easy since the only way to get to her was to find the correct warp tiles that would teleport them to her. They had a hard time agreeing on which pads to take, resulting in both of them ending up in various rooms until they both accidentally stumbled onto the right tile, ending up in a heap in front of Sabrina. She opened by saying she foresaw their arrival three years ago and that she already knew how their battle would turn out. Although it started out looking like she would win, since both Hareta and Gold were still frustrated about the warp tile puzzle, they managed to regroup before it was too late and ended up beating Sabrina's Alakazam, Espeon, Mr. Mime, and Gallade. Upon her defeat, she admitted that it might not be possible to accurately predict the future and awarded them the Marsh Badge, praising their strength and love for their Pokémon.

After passing through the guardhouse at the west entrance to the city, they passed through some rocky terrain on Route 7 before they reached the woodland area they were in now, which had grass and a dirt path. Celadon City wasn't far now and they couldn't wait to get there. As they got closer, Hareta, Gold, and Kotone all huddled together while walking, whispering about something. Mitsumi raised an eyebrow at this and was about to walk over to see what was up when Ninetales pushed her muzzle against Mitsumi's legs, effectively stopping her, and Jun gently grabbed her hand, asking, "Are you in a hurry or something, Mitsumi? Relax, we're almost there."

Mitsumi turned to him and said, "No, I'm not in a hurry. I was just going to ask what they were talking about." She gestured towards the huddle as she said this.

Jun just grinned, "Ah, who cares? They don't seem to be paying much attention to us right now." Mitsumi glared at him and pulled her hand out of his, turning back to the trio only to realize they had separated and were all wearing innocent looks. Seeing this, both Jun and Ninetales secretly grinned at each other.

**A few minutes later, at the Pokémon Center**

Everyone was sitting down in the lobby, waiting to hear how their Pokémon were doing. Soon, the double doors behind the main desk opened and Nurse Joy walked out, followed by one of her Chansey and Ninetales. Nurse Joy and Chansey were both pushing a cart containing many Poké Ball holders, Minun and Jun's Mime Jr. sitting atop the one Nurse Joy was pushing while Pichu and Cubone were sitting on the one Chansey had. The group stood up and came to the front upon seeing them come out, Nurse Joy saying, "Good news, everyone. I am happy to report all of your Pokémon are all in excellent condition, though it might be a good idea for some of them to take some time today to rest." They thanked Nurse Joy and took their respective Poké Balls while their Pokémon jumped up onto their shoulders.

As they stepped outside, Mitsumi asked, "So shall we go check out the Gym? After all, Nurse Joy did say that only a few of Hareta and Gold's Pokémon should rest up."

Gold spoke, "Nah. Let's surprise her by doing what she wants us to do for our Pokémon. After all, doctors and nurses are always telling people to do what they ask, only to see them come back later just because they didn't listen."

Kotone grinned, "Yeah, you would know that, wouldn't you, Gold? Your mother always told you to be careful when we'd go out to play, and how often did you actually listen to her? Not very often, if I recall correctly." Gold turned to glare at her, even though he knew she was right.

Jun spoke up, "Well, I agree that we should listen to Nurse Joy. After all, she and her many family members work tirelessly to help Pokémon, so we should let them know we appreciate everything they do." Both Hareta and Mitsumi agreed that he was right, so they all decided to go to the Celadon Gym the following day.

Mitsumi then asked, "So what should we do today, then? We had lunch before we left Saffron City, so it's still early in the afternoon. Plenty of time to do pretty much anything here."

Hareta said, "Let's do that! We can do some stuff and so can our Pokémon!" When Mitsumi voiced her opinion against letting the Pokémon wander around on their own, he added, "Then they can pair up before they go exploring. You know, stick to the buddy system so they can watch out for each other."

Everyone thought this was a good idea, so they let out most of their Pokémon, Hareta's Regigigas staying inside for obvious reasons. As they faced all of their Pokémon, Gold said, "All right everyone, the rest of today is a free day. You're all free to do whatever you want on one condition: you gotta have a buddy with you. Celadon City's a good place, but you can't be too careful. And when we say buddy, we mean with another Pokémon. Except for Ninetales, no human and Pokémon pairings." Although everyone, except Hareta, Kotone, Jun, and Ninetales, was confused about why Ninetales could go with one of the humans, the Pokémon let it go and began to pair themselves up.

Afterwards, just as everyone was about to split up, Hareta pointed towards the Celadon City university and said, "Everyone see that clock over there? We'll meet back here at 6:00. Until then, have fun!" Everyone signaled that they understood and they split up, the Pokémon leaving first followed by their Trainers.

**South of the Pokémon Center**

Hareta and Mitsumi were walking near a fence on a sidewalk when Mitsumi found what she was looking for. "There's the Game Corner! I don't care what they have, be it slots, game machines, or Voltorb Flip, this time I'm going to win some money!" she exclaimed, remembering when she and Hareta first visited Veilstone City and the machine she picked was like a sponge, sucking up all of her money. She turned to Hareta and asked, "Are you gonna play too, Hareta?"

Hareta replied, "Thanks, but I think I'll pass this time. I think I'll do a little sightseeing on my own, if that's okay with you, Mitsumi." Mitsumi replied that it was and quickly headed behind the fence to go into the Game Corner. After he saw her go in, Hareta continued walking, looking for some type of store or restaurant.

After wandering around for a little while, Hareta located a restaurant a few buildings down from a hotel. Pushing the door open, he found people sitting around a counter eating, one person surrounded by a big stack of bowls, which prevented Hareta from seeing who it was. That didn't matter at the moment, though; what mattered was what he came here for. He went up to the end of the counter, where a man, presumably the owner, was checking something underneath the counter. Hareta stood in front of the counter and asked, "Um, excuse me?"

The man looked up at him, since he was bending over, and stood up straight, saying, "Hi! What can I do for you? If you're here about the eating contest, it was yesterday. The young lady behind those bowls over there won it."

Hareta glanced over at that end of the counter for a moment before saying, "Uh, no. I was actually wondering if you catered. Something's happening tonight and I'd like there to be enough food for everyone coming."

**Meanwhile, at the Celadon Condominiums**

"Let me make sure I understand what you're asking. You want to know if you can rent out the rooftop for a party tonight?" an old woman on the first floor was asking Gold.

"Yeah, it's just for tonight. Will that be all right?" Gold asked.

"Yes, that will be fine. But keep in mind that you will have to pay to use it," the old woman answered.

Ninetales, who was sitting next to Gold, reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope as he was saying, "I figured I would. How much is it going to cost?" When she told him the price, he took the envelope from Ninetales and counted the Pokédollars inside before saying, "I think I've got enough here to pay that."

**Meanwhile, at the Celadon Department Store**

"Let's see... Paper plates, paper cups, a few decorations... Do you think we need anything else, Jun?" Kotone asked the blonde Trainer, who was looking at a shelf while she was checking what they had.

Jun turned around and said, "Eh, maybe. We might as well look around a little more while we're here, see if there's anything else we could use." The two Trainers took the nearby escalator up to the fourth floor, browsing the store for a little longer before going up to the rooftop to get something from the vending machines. Afterwards, they were sure they had everything they needed, so they began to ride the escalators back down to the ground floor.

As they were stepping off the escalator onto the second floor, both Kotone and Jun noticed someone familiar looking at one of the shelves. Kotone asked, "Hey, isn't that the Gym Leader from Pastoria City?"

Jun nodded, "Yeah, that's him, all right. Hey Crasher Wake!" The man turned at the sound of someone calling his name and smiled upon seeing a pair of familiar faces coming towards him.

Once they got over to him, Crasher Wake spoke, "Well, nice to see you again, Jun! It's been a long time. And your name is Kotone, right? I remember meeting you back in Pastoria City."

Kotone smiled, "Wow, I didn't know if you'd remember me. You know, since we only saw each other that one time."

Crasher Wake grinned, "Heck, I remember a lot of people that I've only seen once! I just need a face to help jog my memory." He then looked at the two Trainers and asked, "By the way, what are you two doing here in Celadon City?"

Jun answered, "We're having a little party tonight. That is, assuming everything works out like we're hoping. You wanna come?"

Crasher Wake replied, "Sure! Show me where you're having this party. You can explain all the details on the way." With that, they headed down the escalator to the first floor and exited the department store, heading east.

After a few minutes of walking and explaining, the three of them reached the front of the Celadon Condominiums, where Gold, Ninetales, Hareta, and Maylene were waiting. Seeing the Veilstone City Gym Leader, Crasher Wake spoke, "Ah, Maylene! I didn't know you were here too!"

Maylene smiled, "Well, I actually got in yesterday for the eating contest they were holding in a restaurant around here. I ended up winning, so I got to eat for free today." She then looked over at Hareta as she said, "But once I heard Hareta's voice, I decided to come over to this party he was talking about over at the counter."

Crasher Wake smiled, "Well, you always two did enjoy each other's company back in Sinnoh, so it's no wonder." He then smirked under his breath, "They make a cute couple, these two. I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up dating each other when they get a little older." He then looked up and noticed someone was missing and asked, "Say, where's Mitsumi? Shouldn't she be here too?"

Gold spoke, "No, she shouldn't, Crasher Wake. She's not supposed to know about this little gathering we're having just yet." Crasher Wake caught onto what Gold was saying and nodded, then Gold said, "The lady on the first floor agreed to let us use the roof for our party tonight. It's all cleared out and everything, so there's plenty of room. How'd everyone else do?"

Kotone spoke, "We got all the necessities for this. Plates, cups, decorations... We're good to go!"

Gold nodded and looked at Hareta, who said, "The guy at the restaurant agreed to provide food for us. He said it'll be ready by 5:30, so I'll go over and tell him to bring it here."

Gold grinned, "Great! Looks like everything's covered then. Unless anyone thought of something else we might need?"

Kotone spoke up, "Well, it might be a stretch, but what about presents? I mean, it's not exactly THAT kind of party, but since... well, you know."

Jun put his hands on his hips, "I don't know. Do we have enough prize money left over to buy some decent presents?" Hareta, Gold, Kotone, and Jun dug into their pockets, each of them pulling out a white envelope. Each envelope had some money inside and they each counted up how much they had. Adding it all together, Jun said, "We might be able to get her something that she'll like. Guess we'll go visit the department store to see if we can find anything."

Kotone asked, "But what about the decorations and table settings? We've gotta set everything up!"

Maylene spoke, "Hey, I'll help!"

Crasher Wake added, "So will I!"

Gold spoke, "Okay, then here's what we'll do. I'll go with Jun and we'll see what they've got in the department store. Kotone, Ninetales, Crasher Wake, and Maylene will start setting up while Hareta goes back to the restaurant, after which he'll help out too until we get back. Sound good?" Everyone agreed and went to do what they had been assigned to.

**Later, at 5:58 in front of the Pokémon Center**

Mitsumi sighed as she checked her Pokétch, "Where is everyone? Someone else should've shown up by now." Around her were all of the Pokémon that everyone had sent out, but none of the other Trainers were there. Two minutes passed and still nobody showed up. "What are they all doing, anyway? I managed to pry myself away from what I was doing to check the time, and I was actually starting to win at the slots for a change!" she muttered, annoyed.

As she was about to go look around for everyone, she suddenly heard Hareta whisper, "Hey! Mitsumi!" She turned around and saw him standing near the side of the Pokémon Center.

She came over to him, as did some of the Pokémon, and asked, "Hareta, what's the matter? Where is everyone?"

Hareta replied, "Something's come up. We're meeting somewhere else. Come on, I'll show you." He then turned to the Pokémon and said, "Hey, you guys follow the path behind the Pokémon Center. Regigigas will take you to where we're meeting, okay?" The Pokémon agreed, although they were wondering what was up, and began making their way behind the Pokémon Center while Hareta and Mitsumi began walking down the street.

Soon, they stopped in front of a building and Mitsumi looked up at it. "The Celadon Condominiums? Is this where we're meeting?" she asked.

Hareta nodded, "Yep. See you on the roof!" He then pushed the front door open and ran inside before Mitsumi could react.

"Hey! Hareta!" she exclaimed, running after him. When she got inside, she saw him taking the stairs up, heading for the elevator on the second floor. "Ugh, I am SO not in the mood for his little games right now..." she muttered, running over to the elevator on the first floor and pressing the button that read 'Roof' when she stepped inside. The elevator soon reached its destination and she stepped out, her face changing from one of frustration to one of surprise. "What... What is all this?" she asked, looking around as the other elevator arrived and Hareta stepped out.

The Pokémon, who were being lifted onto the roof by Hareta's Regigigas, also looked around in surprise. The rooftop had many circular-shaped folding tables, various foodstuffs sitting atop each. There were also a few decorations attached to the two walls and hanging on the two fences. Gold, Kotone, Jun, Ninetales, Maylene, and Crasher Wake were all present as well, standing next to the wall closest to the elevators. Mitsumi turned to them and asked, "What's going on here?"

Kotone smiled, "You like it? Hareta's been planning this since we saw that couple getting married in the canals of Alto Mare."

Gold added, "A day like this deserves to have a party to celebrate it."

Mitsumi asked, "What's so special about today?" Both she and Empoleon looked at Hareta, who had stepped in between the two of them.

Hareta asked, "Empoleon, Mitsumi, you don't remember what today is?" When he received no response, he explained, "This is the day we met, the day we first became friends. That's enough of a reason to celebrate, don't you think?" While Empoleon's eyes widened at that, Hareta turned to Mitsumi and said, "And I know it doesn't make up for it, but it's also partially because you didn't have a proper birthday party when we were traveling with Koya, Mitsumi."

Mitsumi asked, "Are you still worried about that? I told you, the fact that we did something was enough for me. At least you acknowledged it rather than shrugging it off like it was nothing."

Crasher Wake spoke up, "Come now, Mitsumi. Your friends went to all this trouble to celebrate the day you all met and give you a proper party. Are you saying that you don't care?"

Mitsumi started, "No, I didn't mean it like that. It's just..."

Maylene spoke up, "Then why did you bring this up in the first place? I mean, come on! This party is just for you and all of everyone's Pokémon after all. They even got you presents since there wasn't time to get you any on your birthday."

Mitsumi said, "That's the thing! This must've cost a lot of money! You didn't have to spend all of your own money on me!"

Gold spoke, "Actually, we bought all of this and the presents with the money Hareta won for being the winner of the Silver Conference. Sure, we used up a bit of it, but there's still a little left. Besides, you kept saying it was a bad idea to be carrying a lot of money like that around with us. We put it to a better use - doing something nice for our friends!"

Mitsumi struggled to hold back her tears as she said, "You guys... You didn't have to... I mean, just the Pokémon would've been..."

Jun spoke, "Before we get to the food, let's give Mitsumi her presents. I'll go first." He walked up to her, pulling a small, black square-shaped box out of his jacket pocket.

Seeing the box's design, she gave Jun a slightly angry look as she said, "Jun, there better not be a wedding ring in that box."

The blonde grinned, "Maybe someday, but not today. It's a ring all right, but a different kind." Curious, Mitsumi took the box and opened it. Inside was a ring consisting of a single silver band that was topped with a small pearl. When she looked up at him, he explained, "A pearl represents the ultimate smoothness. You've got an undeniable smoothness to you, Mitsumi, and Hareta's got your other half."

Mitsumi turned to look at Hareta, who also had a ring box in his hand. When he handed it to her, she opened it to find a similar ring, except this one was topped with a small diamond. Hareta grinned, "The ultimate toughness; that's you, Mitsumi. No matter how strong I'll ever be, I think you'll always be stronger. The two rings go hand in hand, don't they? Just like Dialga and Palkia."

Mitsumi, with tears in her eyes, said, "They're so beautiful... I love them... Thank you, Jun and Hareta." The two boys smiled at her, glad that she liked their gifts.

Kotone spoke up, "My turn!" She reached into her bag and pulled out a small square-shaped box covered in wrapping paper. She came over and handed it to Mitsumi, saying, "I hope you like what I got you!"

Mitsumi smiled, "Thank you, Kotone!" She pulled off the wrapping paper and opened the lid. On the top of her present, she saw some writing and read it, "'The Ultimate World and Pokémon Encyclopedia.'"

Kotone held a finger up, "On CD! So you can put it on your computer, copy the files, and put them on a portable music player to take them with you anywhere you go! I know how much you like learning and all that."

Mitsumi lifted the collection of CDs out and smiled, "Thanks, Kotone! I've never had a portable source of knowledge before!" Kotone smiled happily at that.

Mitsumi then turned to Gold, who said, "I guess I'm the last one." He came over and handed her a small box, saying, "I was kind of stumped, but after I heard what Kotone was getting for you, I thought you'd need something to go with it."

Mitsumi took the box and opened it up, pulling out a rectangular, black colored media player that had a small stylus attached to the side. "Oh! A pPod Touch!" Mitsumi exclaimed.

Gold said, "Yeah, we were kind of running out of prize money to spend, so I had to pick up one of the cheaper ones. If you don't like it, I held onto the receipt so we can take it back."

Mitsumi shook her head, "No no, it's great! Thank you, Gold!" The raven-haired Trainer shot her a smile, glad that he got her something she liked.

Hareta looked over at all the Pokémon and said, "Don't worry, guys, we haven't forgotten about you! The big reason for this party is to thank you for everything we've gone through together, for being friends with us, and sticking by us all this time! Hope you all enjoy!" The Pokémon gave a cheer at that and made their way over to the tables, grabbing their fill of the grub as a few more plates of food were laid out. Maylene and Crasher Wake also let out some of their Pokémon so they could join in.

As the Pokémon were enjoying the food and chatting among themselves and the Trainers, Hareta made his way over to Empoleon, who was next to a table, snacking on some pastries. He stopped when he noticed Hareta was standing next to him and turned to face him. "Hey Empoleon?" Hareta asked. He then caught the Emperor Pokémon in a big hug, saying, "Thanks for being my friend all this time." Although initially surprised by this action, Empoleon was quick to return the hug, squeezing his Trainer and best friend with his wings. They both knew their meeting was not by chance, and they vowed to never forget the circumstances that brought them together.

* * *

Not a lot of action in this chapter either, but it should start to pick up next time. I'm undecided, but there might be a slight arc starting up with the next chapter.

As you might have figured, Crasher Wake and Maylene's appearances here come from their appearances in Celadon City in the games.

The diamond and pearl rings Mitsumi receives are based on the ones that Platinum Berlitz in "Pokémon Special" wears. Don't ask why, it just sprung into my head while I was writing.

And the pPod Touch is obviously an iPod Touch parody. I got the idea from Scooby-Doo cartoons, particularly "What's New, Scooby-Doo?" (vPod) and "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated" (EarTube).


	54. New Student Day

**Route 17, southwest of Celadon City**

Gold and his friends were making their way down the metal bridge known as the Cycling Road, each of them using a form of land transportation that they had rented. Hareta was riding an orange skateboard that had blue wheels and a picture of a Poké Ball surrounded by flames on the bottom, Gold was using a yellow scooter that had the words 'Miracle Cycle' on the steering handle, Kotone had a pair of purple roller blades on, Ninetales was riding a blue longboard, and Jun and Mitsumi were riding on a two seat bicycle. In addition, Sneasel was hanging onto Hareta's shoulder while Pikachu and Pichu were perched on Gold's shoulders.

Earlier on, Gold and Hareta went to the Celadon City Gym to challenge Erika for the Rainbow Badge. To reach her, the two Trainers had to navigate a maze of flower-covered archways while battling the Gym's female Trainers, all of them attempting to cut their challenge short. They managed to prevail over their the Trainers, though both of them had been worn down by the time they reached Erika, which made defeating her Jumpluff, Tangela, Victreebel, and Bellossom a bit of a challenge. Their Pokémon stood strong, though, and even though it came close, both Hareta and Gold won the match, earning them both a Rainbow Badge. Afterwards, the group consulted Kotone's PokéGear about where to go next and they decided that Fuchsia City should be their next stop.

When the path split off into two, Kotone, Ninetales, Jun, and Mitsumi took the left path while Gold and Hareta took the right path. The left path was more straightforward, a narrow segment running under arches that had lights attached to them, while the right path was wider and had lamp posts lining the sides of the road. Jun and the girls reached the bottom relatively quickly, Hareta and Gold arriving shortly afterwards due to being ambushed from behind by a gang of Bikers, forcing them to recall their Pokémon. The Bikers tried to knock them off of their rides, but they managed to keep ahead of them and make a sharp turn at the end of the road, allowing them to meet up with their friends on Route 18 while the Bikers crashed in heap. Afterwards, everyone turned in the rental equipment at the watch station before moving onto the rest of Route 18.

After about an hour or so of walking, the group reached Fuchsia City and immediately went to visit the Pokémon Center. While they were there, they asked about the city and the Gym, learning that a new attraction called the Pal Park was taking the place of the old Safari Zone and that the Gym was located in a forest on the outskirts of the city. Before they left, Nurse Joy advised them to be careful when they went to the Gym, as it was also a ninja training school. After spending a little time looking around the city, they decided to start making their way to the Gym, using the directions that Nurse Joy had given them.

At about midday, they decided to stop along the side of the path to have some lunch. After they set their bags down, Hareta reached into his bag and took out a few of his Poké Balls, saying, "Feels good out here. I think I'm gonna spend a little time with some of my Pokémon, okay guys?"

Mitsumi replied, "Sure, no problem. I'm going to makes some sandwiches for us, so come back in a little while. I figure something a little simple will be nice to balance out some of the things we've eaten recently."

Hareta smiled, "Sounds great! It'll be nice going back to eating something simple!"

Jun grinned, "Yeah, especially something you don't have to read off a recipe for, right? No offense to some of the stuff you made, Hareta, but I don't think you'll grow up to be a chef. Maybe that's why your mom took all the cooking stuff and recipes with her when we left the port in Cherrygrove City."

Gold spoke up, "Hey, he might need a little work, but his cooking isn't THAT bad, Jun. At least he followed the recipes he was given. Besides, we hardly ever used that stuff while we traveling around Johto. We mostly just ate berries or some of the food we had in our backpacks. It's probably better for Hareta that she took that stuff home with her."

After that, Hareta let out his Grovyle, Crobat, Quilava, Lucario, Luxray, and Alakazam, all of them heading off into the forest. Kotone noticed Ninetales slink off after him, so she said, "I think I'll go watch him. Just to make sure he doesn't run into any problems."

Gold replied, "Okay. I'll give you a call on my PokéGear when lunch is ready."

Kotone nodded, "Sure. And don't forget to take your rings off, Mitzi. Wouldn't want to ruin them after you just got them." She then headed off into the forest after Ninetales while Mitsumi removed the diamond and pearl rings she received, slipping them into a pocket on the side of her mini dress before she opened her bag.

Kotone walked through the forest, following the slight indentations left in the dirt by Ninetales' paws. After about a minute of walking, she saw Ninetales standing next to a rock in a clearing and walked up beside her, standing just behind the rock. As she did, she also saw Hareta and his Pokémon there, seeming to be doing some kind of training. From what she could see, it seemed Hareta was taking an active role in the training instead of standing on the sidelines. She walked around the rock and sat down on it, Ninetales turning to her as she did. Kotone looked back at her and asked, "So who's training who here? Is Hareta the trainee or are the others doing some practicing?"

Ninetales replied, "A little of both. He's helping them train and they're doing the same for him."

Kotone nodded, "I see. By the way, how come you haven't talked in front of Jun or Mitsumi yet? I can understand that it would create a problem if you did it all the time, but I guess I'm just curious."

Ninetales cocked her head, her equivalent of a shrug, and said, "I don't know. I suppose the urge just hasn't been strong enough. I'll probably talk to them someday, but for now, I want to get to know them a little better before I do." Kotone nodded and they both turned their attention back to the training going on.

Crobat flew up above everyone and used Air Cutter, firing a series of blue 'S' shaped energy disks down at Hareta. These were noticeably smaller than normal to avoid causing any serious injuries; Hareta dove to the side, rolling on the ground as he landed. He just barely landed when he was caught by a Psychic from Alakazam, a light blue outline surrounding him as Alakazam's eyes glowed light blue. Before he could be raised up high enough, he became engulfed in a burst of Aura, which broke Alakazam's hold over him, allowing him to drop to the ground.

After Hareta landed, Luxray came running at him with a Tackle attack, running at full speed. Hareta leapt over him, but was sent flying when Grovyle slammed into him with a Quick Attack, though he managed to roll backwards when he landed, ending up back on his feet. It was a good thing too; Grovyle came at him with a Fury Cutter, slashing with his claws. Hareta did his best to avoid the slashes, eventually managing to whirl around Grovyle so he was behind him.

He then turned around to see Lucario coming at him with a Metal Claw ready. Seeing the three glowing claws, Hareta held up his right arm in front of him and called, "I need you, Tsumugari!" With that, the sword he'd been trained to use appeared in his right hand and he held it up, catching Lucario's claws on the blunt side. Lucario brought his free arm back and threw it in a punch, which Hareta narrowly dodged and he rolled away from Lucario.

Kotone called, "Okay guys, don't you think that's about enough for now?" Everyone looked over in her direction, just now realizing that she had been watching them. After thinking about it for a minute, they decided that she was right, so Hareta thanked everyone before sending Tsumugari back to Arceus. As they walked over to her and Ninetales, Kotone said, "Geez, that looked intense. Are you really sure you should be training that hard, Hareta?"

The boy grinned as he cuddled Quilava in his arms, who was resting against his chest with a dreamy expression on her muzzle, "Well, it's a bit rough, but I'm not gonna complain. Whine maybe, but not complain. I wanna stay tough so I don't get rusty in case I ever have to use my Aura for any reason. Plus I like being active and I think they enjoy letting off a bit of steam." He indicated to his Pokémon as he said this.

Kotone replied, "Yeah, I suppose you have a point there. By the way, have you talked to Arceus at all lately? I mean, I did hear something about there being a link to Tsumugari or something like that."

Hareta nodded, "Yeah, I talked to Arceus a few time while we were making our way to the Silver Conference. I don't like to disturb it, but I think it enjoys talking with others, so long as they're not coming to it, like, every hour."

Kotone giggled, "Yeah, I can see that. You'll have to show me what it's like to talk to a god that way sometime."

Hareta replied, "Sure. And I should probably pay Arceus a visit sometime too. It's nice getting its advice without having to pay long distance, but I'd sure like to see it again."

Before anything else could be said, Kotone's PokéGear began to ring and she pulled it out of her pocket, suspecting that it was Gold. Sure enough, her friend's voice came through the speaker, "Hey Kotone. The sandwiches are ready. You guys had better hurry back before they're all gone!"

Kotone replied, "Sure, we're on our way, Gold." She hung up and turned to Hareta, asking, "Well, shall we?" Hareta nodded and everyone headed in the direction of the campsite.

A while later, the group packed up, returned their Pokémon to their Poké Balls, and continued onward to the Fuchsia City Gym. After walking for a while, they came across a wooden bridge that went over a gorge, leading to a large, old-fashioned mansion. Jun went up to the bridge and tested the ropes before saying, "It should hold if we go one at a time. I'll go first." Everyone watched as he walked across the bridge to the other side. After he made it safely, he called, "It's okay! Come on!" Gold went across next, followed afterwards by Kotone, Ninetales, Mitsumi, and Hareta.

Once they were all over, Gold looked up at the mansion and asked, "Do you think this is the Gym? Nurse Joy did say it was also a ninja training school, after all."

Hareta asked, "Yeah, I've been wondering about that. What is a ninja, anyway?"

Mitsumi said, "It's kind of hard to explain. If we're lucky, maybe we'll one while we're out here. But right now, let's go see if someone in there that can tell us where to go." She walked up to the front gate and knocked on it, only to find that it was open. Wondering if someone had opened it for them, she stepped inside, followed by her friends.

The front door of the mansion slid open, revealing a wooden floor with simple brown and white walls. As they stepped inside, Hareta said, "I wonder who lives here."

As she leaned on her shoulder against a wall, Mitsumi said, "Me too. It does seem a bit odd that there's no one here to greet travelers in this- Whoa!" Suddenly, the wall flipped around and she disappeared behind it!

Everyone turned to the wall, startled. Gold asked, "What just happened?"

Kotone walked up to the wall and inspected it for a moment before declaring, "It's a secret door, almost like a trap door. See?" She knocked on the wall for a second before it slowly slid open, allowing them to get behind the wall.

Seeing Mitsumi sitting on the floor while rubbing her back, Hareta asked, "Uh, are you okay, Mitsumi?"

She looked up at him and said, sarcastically, "No, don't worry about me. I only just landed on my back, after all." Hareta glanced away at that, knowing better than to argue with Mitsumi when she was upset about something. She stood up afterwards and looked around the room as she said, "Well, it looks like this room might be a storage room or even a hiding place. There's no way in or out aside from that hidden door."

Jun said, "Then let's go check out that hallway. There might be someone up ahead who can help us." Everyone nodded and left the room, closing the door afterwards.

They followed the hallway and turned right at the corner, going up a set of stairs. At the top of the stairs, they continued through the halls, keeping an eye out for any sign of life, for a while until suddenly... SMACK! Both Hareta and Gold's faces smashed up against something, both of them standing still for a moment before pushing off of it and groaning. Gold growled, "Okay, what the heck? Who decided to stop in front of me?"

Kotone said, "Uh, you didn't run into somebody, Gold. You hit a wall."

Hareta took his hand off of his face and moved it in front of him, touching the wall. "Wow. It feels like a real wall, but it looks more like a piece of glass," he commented, able to see it better now that he had a hand against it.

Jun turned around, saying, "Well, we can't go that way, clearly. We might as well-" He was cut off when he suddenly walked into an invisible wall that had appeared in front of the path they had come from. He pushed off of it, holding his face as he muttered, "Where did that come from? How did someone put it there without us noticing?"

Mitsumi said, "Simple. Someone has apparently been watching since we entered this mansion and set these hidden walls so they would trap us. Of course, the question of who wants to traps us still remains."

Kotone spoke up, "Well, there's gotta be some way we can get out. It's probably right in front of us and we just haven't found it yet, just like these traps."

Mitsumi looked over at Hareta, who was pressed up against the wooden wall, and asked, "Hareta, what are you doing?"

The boy replied, "I can feel a breeze coming from the other side of this wall. There might be a room on the other side." He began to push against it, soon causing the wall to spin around halfway, Hareta hopping on one foot to the other side before stopping and regaining his balance. As he stood up straight and everyone followed him inside, he noticed a girl standing in the room with her back to him. She had purple hair that was short in the front and spiky in the back, a yellow band holding it back in a bun, and had a bright pink scarf on. She was also wearing a black shinobi outfit that had brown mesh-like sleeves, a pink belt, bands on her arms and legs that were pink and purple, and white split toe tabi socks.

Before any of them could say anything, she spoke, calmly, "Welcome, visitors, to the Fuchsia City Gym. Are you intruders, challengers, or prospective students?"

Mitsumi asked, "Students? Why are you asking us if we want to be students?"

The girl replied, "You do not know? Well, I'll tell you..." She then turned around partway, looking over her left shoulder at the group with her purple eyes, holding up her hand with two fingers pointing up as she said, "I am Janine, the Gym Leader of Fuchsia City and the poisonous ninja master!"

Gold said, "So this is the Fuchsia Gym! But what was with all the invisible walls and trap doors?"

Janine explained, "This is a ninja school; even challengers are supposed to prove that they have a basic understanding of the arts of the far east, as well as prove their determination. Those who cannot handle such are not worthy enough to battle me for the Soul Badge."

Hareta asked, "This is like a test too, isn't it? It looks like we're the only ones here, but we're actually surrounded, right?"

Janine replied, "Well, I can honestly say I haven't seen anyone figure it out that quickly." She then raised a hand as she said, "You may reveal yourselves now, students!" At that statement, they group was surrounded on all sides by Janine's students, who were all wearing attire similar to hers except everyone had a hood on.

Suddenly, one of the students to their left spoke, "Wow, fancy running into you here, Hareta." Everyone turned to look at the female student, who was wearing a red shinobi outfit. She pulled down her hood, revealing a pair of red goggles with blue lenses and brown hair that was spiky on the sides and hung down in pointy bangs in the front. "Remember me?" she asked.

"Minami!" Hareta exclaimed, happy to see the familiar Pokémon Ranger.

"So you know our guests, Minami?" Janine asked as the ukulele Pichu stepped out from behind Minami's legs.

"I do, sensei. And I wouldn't be surprised if, after that little show, they'd be interested in taking a few ninja classes as well," Minami replied.

Janine glanced back at the group and asked, "Oh? Is that true?"

Mitsumi started, "No, we're not interested in anything like-"

Hareta cut her off, "You bet! That was awesome! How'd they do that?"

Before Mitsumi could say anything to Hareta, Gold spoke up, "I admit I've seen a few books and shows on ninjas before, but it would be interesting to experience it firsthand. Is there any way we could get in on this school of yours?"

Janine was silent for a moment before saying, "Students, go back to your training. Leave us alone." At that order, all the students left the room save for Minami, her Pichu partner, and a student wearing blue ninja attire. Seeing this, she asked, "Minami, Natsuya, is something wrong?"

Minami replied, "No, I just thought I'd accompany everyone, if it's okay, sensei."

Janine nodded, "Fine. And you, Natsuya?"

The male Ranger pulled down his hood, revealing his face, and said, "Same reason. Besides, I've only heard about this group, so I'd like to get to know them."

Janine replied, "Okay then. Right this way, everyone." After taking a moment to make the invisible walls slide back into their resting spots, she motioned for everyone to follow, everyone except Mitsumi and Jun shuffling after her.

Mitsumi was about to speak up again when Jun laid a hand on her shoulder and said, "Calm down, Mitsumi. Sure, we only came so Gold and Hareta could battle, but this actually sounds kind of fun. At least let's see what it's going to involve before we say anything." With that, he headed out into the hallway to catch up with the others, Mitsumi following shortly afterwards.

As they walked, Minami explained that she and Natsuya were attending the school so they could be better Rangers, and Natsuya introduced himself to the group, and they in turn did the same. He said he was glad to finally meet them, but Kotone thought she could see a hint of jealousy in his eyes every time he looked at Hareta. After walking for a while, which gave everyone a good chance to see other ninja students training, they reached a sliding door that Janine knocked on. Shortly afterwards, a man's voice was heard. "Who is it?"

Janine replied, "It is I, Janine. I have something I wish to ask you, father."

The man on the other side replied, "You may enter, Janine." The door slid open, revealing a small wooden chamber with various ninja tools lining the walls. Near the middle of the room, sitting on a mat, was a man with blue hair wearing black ninja attire. It looked similar to Janine's except he wore a purple belt, a red scarf, and black tabi boots that had some kind of metal plating around the legs. Natsuya and Minami stood outside as everyone else walked inside, both of them acting like bodyguards. The man stood up as they walked inside and spoke, "What is it you wished to see me about, Janine?"

Janine replied, "Father, this group has shown an interest in seeing what being a ninja is really about. However, they are traveling Trainers, so they cannot be here to learn everything they can. Is it possible they can be students for a short time?"

The man crossed his arms, seeming to be thinking. After a moment, he looked at the group and asked, "Young ones, my name is Koga. I am a member of the Johto Elite Four. Tell me something. What do you hope to acquire if you were to become students here, even if it's only for a short time?"

Kotone spoke up, "The world is a large place, and there are many things about it that catch our attention. As someone who wants to see new and uncharted places, I think it's very important to experience something that's interesting firsthand, even if that experience doesn't cover everything. That's what our journey is all about: it's not just to prove that we're strong, it's for us to learn all we can as we travel alongside and get to know our Pokémon friends."

Koga was silent for a moment before asking, "Is that the only reason?"

Gold backed Kotone up, "Probably not, but for us, it's the most important reason!"

Koga smiled, "I see. If that's the way you all feel, then I will allow you to stay for, say, a week. Does that sound fair?" Everyone agreed, including Mitsumi, so Koga and Janine began to lead them on a tour of the Fuchsia City Gym while Natsuya, Minami, and Pichu went back to join up with the other students.

**Later in the evening, following the tour**

"Ahh... This is nice," Mitsumi sighed as she relaxed in the hot springs located behind the Gym along with Kotone, Minami, Janine, Ninetales, and some of the other girls from the Gym. In addition, some of everyone's Pokémon were relaxing as well. This included Hareta's Misdreavus, Alakazam, Sneasel, Crobat, and Quilava, Mitsumi's Infernape, Leafeon, Glaceon, Milotic, and Espeon, both Gold and Minami's Pichu, and Kotone's Togekiss. Because of the size of the spring, it was no problem for everyone to fit in and still have personal space.

Kotone nodded, "You said it. I've never been in a hot spring before."

Janine spoke, "Well, as long as you make sure to do everything you're told while you're training, you'll be able to come down here every evening. That is, if you wanted to."

Suddenly, all the girls heard Gold calling from the men's side, "Hey Hareta, are you coming or what?"

They soon heard Hareta call back, "Gimme a second! I'll be right out!"

Mitsumi glanced over at the wooden fence separating the two sides and asked, "What's taking him so long? It's a hot spring, for crying out loud."

Minami smirked, "You know, if enough force were applied to those sticks, I bet it would be a great spot to get a good look at the guys as they grace their way over to the water."

Mitsumi gagged, "Oh Minami, grow up! Why would you do that?"

Minami replied, "When did I say I was GOING to do that? I simply had an idea and was letting everyone know what it was."

Over on the men's side, Hareta and Empoleon left the changing area and made their way through the steam over to the hot spring. Before they could reach it, they suddenly stopped in their tracks as they thought they heard the sound of wood creaking. They glanced over at the wooden fence, seeing that there appeared to be several very small openings in the side, as if someone had pushed them apart to see from the other side. They both figured that the fence had somehow bent on its own, however, as each was in a different spot and appeared to be close to the ground. Shrugging it off, they both entered the water, Hareta sitting near Gold and Jun while Empoleon sat near Jun's Staraptor and Gold's Pidgeot.

As he watched Kotone's Kirlia and Hareta's Minun play with each other in the water, Gold turned to Hareta and asked, "Something wrong? Seemed like something caught your eye for a second."

Hareta shrugged, "Nah, it's nothing. Didn't seem like something, anyway." He glanced around, seeing his Lucario, Luxray, Scizor, Grovyle, Koga, Natsuya, Gold's Meganium, Hitmontop, Buizel, and Elekid, Kotone's Croconaw and Cubone (who was sitting in some of the warm sand around the spring), and Jun's Torterra (who was resting in one of the corners) relaxing and leaned back, nodding off a bit.

A little later, after everyone was done in the hot spring, as the sun was making the western skies orange, Sneasel was taking a walk through the forest around the Fuchsia Gym, enjoying the calmness of the area. She eventually sat down next to a tree, placing her claws behind her head as the quiet began to make her doze off, her eyes slowly sliding shut.

They suddenly snapped back open as she heard the sound of leaves rustling in the trees above her. She quickly stood up and jumped away from the tree she was sitting against, looking up at the trees as the sound of rustling continued, trying to figure out what was going on. "(Okay, calm down, just stay calm. Stay on the defensive, don't try to attack anything unless it attacks you first. Remember your training...)" she quietly muttered to herself, doing her best to keep calm, despite the sound of the rustling getting louder.

Suddenly, numerous figures dropped out of the trees, forming a circle around Sneasel. She glanced around at them; they were all Sneasel and Weavile, and they all seemed to be examining her carefully, as if trying to determine if she was one of their own. As she looked between them, she somehow had the feeling that she knew several of them from somewhere.

All of a sudden, two Weavile, one female and one male, stepped out of the circle, approaching Sneasel. She kept her claws slightly raised in defense, but did not raise them in front of her as that might give them the wrong idea. She stood completely still as they began to examine her more closely, though her eyes followed them around. After about a minute of this, the male Weavile stood in front of her and spoke, "(Where do you come from? You are an unfamiliar, yet I cannot shake this feeling that I know you. Do you have a clan?)"

Sneasel took a moment to process what he said before replying, "(I... I used to belong to a clan or a village, I think. But it was attacked by something and I was separated from my parents. I don't know if they're alive or not.)"

The female Weavile spoke, and Sneasel turned to face her, "(Really? Do you remember where it was located? Was it near a mountain to the north?)"

Sneasel thought back before saying, "(I think so. I seem to remember there being a mountain that had three entrances and it was between a town and a city...)"

Both Weavile looked at her a moment longer before they both gave a relieved smile and pulled Sneasel into a warm embrace, startling her. She was further surprised when the male Weavile said, "(Our dear little daughter... We've finally found you.)"

* * *

Whew, sorry this is a bit later than usual for me. This chapter was a little tricky to write, but I hope I made it worth the wait.

The Fuchsia Gym here is based on how it appeared in the anime. I figured it worked better for the story.

There was originally going to be a bit of a steamy scene here, but I thought it ripped off of another writer and I don't want to accidentally do that again.

Music:

Going Down the Cycling Road - Zip (Bomberman Hero)

Training in the Forest - The Invasion (Bomberman 64)

A Mansion Full of Surprises - King Boo's Haunted Hideaway (Mario Party 8)

A New Interest - Pagoda Peak (Mario Party 7)

The Hot Spring - Chun-Nan Hub Night (Sonic Unleashed)

A Tense Moment - Leap in the Dark (Final Fantasy X)


	55. Training to Stay Strong

Sneasel had a blank look on her face, her body unable to move even though she wasn't being hugged very tightly by her parents. "(You're... my mommy and daddy?)" she asked softly. She didn't think they were lying about believing that she was their daughter, but the idea that she had encountered them by pure chance seemed almost unbelievable to her. By now, the pack of Weavile and Sneasel had returned to the trees, not wanting to disturb the reunited family.

The two Weavile released her, her mother saying, "(Of course we are. Your scent, your pinkish-red eyes, your amber-colored stones. You are most definitely our daughter. Have you forgotten us?)"

Sneasel exclaimed, "(It's been more than three months since we were separated! I didn't know what happened to you! I told you, I was under the impression that you had been killed! Until about three months ago, I was living on my own! I never saw any other Sneasel or Weavile while I was traveling. Except for the Pokémon who taught me how to fight and fend for myself, I was all alone. No matter who I talked to, no one had seen anyone get away from where we lived...)" The little girl's eyes were beginning to water as she replayed the memories in her head.

Her father placed a paw on her head, trying to calm her down as he said, "(Forgive us, dear. I could've sworn we were carrying you when we were trying to get away, but we must've been so spooked that our senses were dulled, since we only realized that you were gone after we had gotten away. The thought that we had intentionally lost you horrified us.)"

Sneasel looked up, her eyes a little less wet now, "(I was really scared, though. I could hear the sound of flames crackling and there was a thick smell of smoke. Except for seeing a brief silhouette of what attacked the area, I didn't have any idea what happened. All I knew was that I had to get away, even if it meant being alone. It took a while, but I managed to find someone who could help me. I've been looking for you both ever since that day...)"

Her father sighed, "(I know. We did go back and try to find you after we came to our senses and managed to meet up with the other members of our clan, but we didn't find any trace of you. Not even a scent. We feared that the worst had happened to you all because of us...)"

Sneasel replied,"(Well, there's no point worrying about it now. It's been almost four months now. And I guess our fears were unfounded after all.)"

Her mother said, "(Yes, and I suppose it has been a while. You do seem more... I don't know, mature now. I don't think we'll ever be able to properly thank whoever has been helping you all this time.)"

Sneasel replied, "(I doubt he would worry about a thing like that. He's wonderful like that...)"

Her father grinned, "(Oh? Did the one who took you in also happen to take your heart while he was at it?)" Sneasel blushed brightly at that question, both of her parents chuckling at that.

Suddenly, all three of them heard Hareta's voice. He was calling, "Sneasel! Are you out here?"

Sneasel's mother and father turned to her and her mother asked, "(Is that your friend? The one who helped you?)"

Sneasel replied, "(Yes, that's him! I think you'll really like him!)"

After about a minute, Hareta reached their location, seeing Sneasel and her parents standing a ways ahead of him. "Sneasel! There you are!" he said, coming towards them, Sneasel happy to see him.

Much to her surprise, Sneasel's parents weren't very happy to meet Hareta. As soon as he started coming closer, they raised their claws in warning, causing him to stop. When he didn't turn around, they leapt at him and used Slash attack, though they intentionally missed since they were only trying to scare him off. It seemed to do the trick, since Hareta fell backwards when they leapt at him, falling onto his back. Seeing him fall, Sneasel cried, "(Mommy, daddy! What are you doing?)"

Before they could respond, Hareta asked, "Mommy? Daddy?" He sat up and looked at the two Weavile before asking, "You're Sneasel's parents?"

Sneasel's father replied, "(That is correct, human. I don't know how you're able to understand what we're saying, but if I were you, I'd be sure to put a gift like that to good use. Now go back to wherever you came from and leave us in peace.)"

Sneasel spoke, "(No daddy, you don't understand! Hareta is the one who found and helped me, I swear!)"

He turned to her and asked, "(You mean to say that you've been traveling around with a human? The same kind of filth that destroyed the nesting grounds of our clan?)"

Sneasel replied, "(No, that's not what happened! A human didn't do that!)"

Her father shook his head, "(I managed to get a look at the attacker. It had to have been a human! I don't know of any other two leg that could stand that tall and wear tattered garments like those!)"

Sneasel pleaded, "(But...)"

Hareta spoke, "Sneasel, you don't have to try to defend me. I can't blame your parents for being hostile towards me because of what I am." He stood up and said, "I'm sorry to intrude on you. I... I'll do what your father said and leave now."

Sneasel gasped, "(No! You can't!)"

Hareta replied, "I'm not leaving you behind, Sneasel. But if your parents want me gone, then I have to do what they say. After all, I promised I would help you find your parents, and it seems that I did. We'll still be leaving in one week, so that'll give you plenty of time to decide what you want to do."

Sneasel's father murmured, "(A week, huh? Can't end soon enough.)" With that, both of Sneasel's parents took her paws and began to lead her off into the forest. Sneasel went willingly, but she kept looking back at Hareta until he left her sight. Hareta left after he couldn't see her anymore, his head down as his thoughts ran through it so fast that he couldn't get a grip on any of them.

**A little later, back at the Fuchsia Gym**

Koga, Janine, and all of the students were seated on mats around a long wooden table in one of the Gym's chambers. It was dinner time, and everyone seemed to be eager to eat the fare from the far east. Everyone except Hareta, that is. While everyone else was digging into the food with their chopsticks or spoons, Hareta was poking his sushi and ramen with his chopsticks. He was still thinking about what had transpired a short while ago, and it was affecting his appetite. He just didn't feel very hungry at all, which, for anyone who knew him, was very unusual.

Ninetales, who was sitting next to Hareta, nudged him, breaking him out of his thoughts. He turned to her, wondering what was up. She asked, "(Aren't you hungry?)"

He replied, "Not right now."

Ninetales sighed, "(Are you still thinking about Sneasel? I'm sure her parents aren't angry with her. They've been looking for her all this time, after all. At least that's what I gathered from what you told me.)"

Hareta said, "I'm not worried about that. I just wonder if I should've taught her a few things while we were traveling around or resting. I grew up in a forest; I know a few things. Some of the things Sneasel's parents are probably going to be teaching her. Maybe I could've helped her somewhat..."

Ninetales patted him on the shoulder with one of her tails, "(There's nothing to blame yourself for. She needed someone's love and affection to help her through a difficult time. You offered to help her and she accepted it because you wanted to give her what she wanted. And who could've predicted that her parents were alive and that we would find them here? It was sheer luck that we ended up in the same location as them. Just try to relax; one way or another, I'm sure things will work out.)" Hareta gave her a light smile and started eating his ramen while Ninetales went back to her miso soup. She had a feeling he wasn't entirely convinced yet, but it was good to know that he was feeling better about the whole situation.

Later that night, Hareta was laying on the futon-like bed he and the other students were provided during their stay. Gold, Jun, and Natsuya were sharing the room with him, the three of them fast asleep. Hareta was still awake, his arms behind his head as he gazed up at the ceiling. After about a minute, he looked over at his backpack and reached over to it, zipping open one of the pockets. A moment later, he pulled something out and held his hand above his head. He then held the object between his fingers, revealing it to be the blue gear-shaped pendant that Dr. Kiyoshi used to wear. As he looked at it, he thought back to the last time he had seen the doctor...

_**Flashback, Cherrygrove City port**_

_"Hareta, I want you to have this," Dr. Kiyoshi was saying. He had the pendant in his hand, which he was holding out towards the boy. Unlike the outfit he had been wearing several months ago, it had not been damaged during his time under Faust's possession._

_Hareta looked at the pendent before asking, "Why? Isn't it precious to you?"_

_Dr. Kiyoshi replied, "In a way, yes. But it's all right. I kept it as a good luck charm, especially during that whole... period. That's why I want you to have it."_

_Hareta asked, "You're worried something's going to happen to me?"_

_Dr. K. shook his head, "No. Ever since that day, I've kept it, even after the thread broke, as a reminder that life is constantly moving and changing, so no matter how bad things may be at a time, there's always a chance that things can suddenly change." He looked at Hareta, "Please, Hareta. You don't have to carry it with you in your jacket like I kept it in my shirt pocket after the thread broke if you don't want to. I'm just asking that you keep it with you. This lesson might be helpful to you someday."_

_Hareta nodded, "Okay, if you insist." He took the pendant and held it in the palm of his hand, looking down at it. He looked up at Dr. Kiyoshi and asked, "What does this design represent, anyway? Are there blue gears somewhere in the world?"_

_Dr. Kiyoshi chuckled, "Not in this world, perhaps, but they do exist. If you keep traveling around, maybe you'll find them someday." Suddenly, a ship's horn blew, indicating that the ship Hareta's group was taking would be leaving soon. Dr. Kiyoshi said, "Well, I suppose it's time. Take care of yourself and all of your friends, Hareta. I hope we meet again soon."_

_Hareta nodded, "Yeah, me too. Good luck, Dr. Kiyoshi!" With the pendant in hand, he ran up the nearby ramp, boarding the ship. As it left the port, both Hareta and Ninetales waved goodbye to Dr. Kiyoshi from the back._

_**End flashback**_

Hareta continued to look up at the pendant. During their stay in Alto Mare, he had bought a new thread for it, which was brown in color. He usually kept in his backpack so that it and his scarf didn't get tangled up, but he would take it out at times to look at it. This was definitely one of those times; as he looked it over, he remembered the doctor's words and nodded to himself. He was going to let the week play out and hope that the situation with Sneasel's parents would turn out okay. With that, he slipped the pendant back into his backpack and almost immediately went to sleep.

**The next day...**

"This is a simple beginner's test. The wooden dummies will approach you and you must attack them with a sword. This will test your reflexes as well as your ability to sense danger from behind," Koga was saying. He was addressing Hareta, who was wearing blue and black ninja clothes that had the same appearance as Natsuya's, as were Gold and Jun. Kotone and Mitsumi were similarly dressed, wearing the same red version of the outfit as Minami. In addition, Hareta, Jun, Mitsumi, and Kotone were wearing white headbands while Gold was wearing his backwards cap without the goggles.

As Koga handed Hareta a wooden Bokken sword, Mitsumi whispered, "Maybe we should get the first-aid kit ready. Even if it's just wood, Hareta's liable to cut his own fingers off."

Jun grinned as he whispered to her, "You kidding? This is Hareta we're talking about. He'll probably end up cutting something off of everyone in this room except himself." He then noticed that Hareta had moved into position and seemed to be leaning against the sword, as he had the tip of the blade pressed against the wooden floor while his hands were pressed together atop the hilt and his head seemed to be resting on it, his eyes closed. "What's he doing? A stork pose?" Jun asked.

"I don't think he knows anything about yoga, Jun," Mitsumi whispered to him. Gold, Kotone, and Ninetales ignored their whispering and focused on Hareta, waiting to see how he did.

As it turns out, Jun wasn't entirely incorrect. Hareta was focusing, trying to keep his mind on what he was about to do and not let it wander to other things. He wanted to be at his best as he did this test.

Suddenly, his eyes flashed open and he took the Bokken between his hands, whirling around with it. Seconds later, there was the sound of wood scattering as the sword cut into the wooden dummy that had been creeping up behind Hareta. After a moment, he relaxed his stance, his feet an even distance apart from each other and the Bokken at his side. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement and leapt up, landing in front of another dummy and making a horizontal slash before landing, slicing the dummy in two. Almost immediately afterwards, another dummy popped out from behind as if to attack him. With no time to swing the sword, turned to look at it over his shoulder and brought up his left leg, sending his sandal-clad foot into its chest.

This continued for several minutes, Mitsumi and Jun in awe at the way Hareta was handling himself, before the boy dropped down on one knee, panting a bit. The floor was covered with the remains of wooden dummys, bits of wood scattered all around. Koga clapped his hands, "All right, that will do." At that, Hareta stood up and adjusted his grip on the wooden Bokken, putting it in a reverse grip. He then handed it to Koga, who took it from him and said, "Impressive, Hareta. I was a little worried you might hurt yourself, but I believe it's clear now that my fears were unfounded."

Hareta bowed, "Thank you, Master Koga." He then went over to the wall and stood next to Ninetales, wiping off some of the sweat that didn't catch in his headband.

"Now then, would anyone else like to try?" Koga asked, looking over the others. Kotone raised her hand, so he handed her the Bokken and stood back with everyone as she took her place. Although she didn't last as long as Hareta and wasn't quite as fast as him, she did do really well for herself.

In the forest, meanwhile, Sneasel's parents were training her as well. Since she was not as used to living among her own kind as she used to be, they were currently teaching her some of the basics. Her father slashed along the side of a boulder with his claws, leaving a marking behind. He then said, "(This is how our kind communicates, Sneasel. We mark boulders, trees, and ice to send messages to our fellow hunters.)"

Sneasel nodded, "(I see. So what does that marking mean?)" She was doing her best to pay attention, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Hareta, wondering how he was doing after that scene the previous day.

Her mother spoke, "(We'll teach you about the meaning of the markings later. For now, just remember that they're used as a means of communication.)" Sneasel nodded, so her mother said, "(Right. Let's move onto hunting, something I'm sure that human would never be able to teach you.)"

Sneasel was about to say something to her mother for talking about Hareta that way, but thought better of it and instead asked, "(What kind of hunting?)"

Her father replied, "(For Pidgey eggs, of course. It can be tricky or simple, depending on how strong a Pidgey is. If they can't be driven off, the best solution is to lead them away from their nest and take their eggs.)"

Sneasel murmured, "(Pidgey eggs? Hmm, well I do enjoy eggs. Especially the omelets Hareta would buy me for breakfast.)"

Unfortunately, her father heard her and immediately got up in her face, growling, "(Will you stop talking about that human already? I don't care what he did for you, his kind are destructive and wasteful! They go about their lives unaware that what they do has far-reaching consequences! They cause harm to anything they touch and they think they're above everything else! And sooner or later, that boy is going to end up being no different from the rest of them!)"

Sneasel looked back at him with wide eyes as he was speaking and was silent for several moments after he finished. Then tears began to form in her eyes and she muttered, "(You're wrong...)" She then sobbed, "(You're wrong! Hareta's not like all those mean humans! He's lived close to nature all of his life, he helps anyone who's in trouble, and he's seen plenty of humans like that before! Even after all he's been through, he refuses to give up on his beliefs! You're just making assumptions based on what some demon did to our home, and I'm not just going to sit around and listen to both of you accusing him of things he didn't do!)" Before her father could respond, Sneasel turned and leapt up into a tree, disappearing into the forest.

Sneasel kept leaping through the trees, heading for no destination in particular, just as long as she got some time away from her parents. She continued to shed tears as she leapt, her eyes tightly squeezed close, yet, amazingly, she never once slammed into a tree trunk. Eventually, she couldn't keep going and dropped down out of the tree she was in, landing on her feet and collapsing afterwards, her energy spent. She simply laid on her front on the ground, her paws on the back of her head as she lightly sobbed.

Suddenly, what felt like a furry hand began to caress her, Sneasel beginning to calm down a little from the warmth it was radiating. A familiar voice spoke, "(There, there, Sneasel, what's the matter?)"

Sneasel looked up at the sound of the voice, but was surprised by what she saw. "(N-Ninetales?)" she asked, confused. Kneeling in front of her was what appeared to be an anthro Ninetales, as she stood on her hind legs, had furry hands that had five fingers on them, and her chest stuck out a ways, similar to Jade. She had no clothing on, but her fur was thick enough to keep anything from being exposed.

The Fox Pokémon smiled reassuringly, "(Yes, it is me, child. Now tell me, why were you crying?)"

Sneasel sat up, resting on her knees as she said, "(It's just... my parents. I'm happy to be back with them and all, but they keep saying things about Hareta. They keep asking me if he did things to me and they say he's no different from an ordinary human. I think they're trying to discourage me from traveling with him. I don't think Hareta would ever do any of the things they say, but still... I honestly don't know what to do, Ninetales...)"

Ninetales, who was now sitting cross-legged, spoke, "(I am sure that they are just being overprotective of you since they have not seen you for so long, Sneasel. They are probably being hostile towards him because, even though you've likely told them what he's like, they don't know that for sure and they're worried that giving him a chance might be a bad idea.)"

Sneasel looked up at her, "(What should I do, Ninetales?)"

Ninetales replied, "(Like I told Hareta, just try to relax. Give it time. Your parents may come to change their minds. You can try to convince them more if you want, but the main thing is to not rush them. You might make things worse.)"

Sneasel nodded, "(I see. ...So how is Hareta doing, anyway?)"

Ninetales sighed, "(He seemed a little upset last night at dinner, but I think he's started to relax now. At the very least, he's focusing on his lessons.)"

Sneasel nodded, "(I see.)" She then eyed Ninetales' form and asked, "(Hey, how did you do that? You know, make it so you're standing on your back legs? Is that like your human illusion?)"

Ninetales glanced down at herself before saying, "(Well, it's similar and it's different. I just wanted to get a little fresh air and thought that since I was in a school that centers on the arts of the far east, I'd practice a form of art myself. I actually didn't use any magic at all to do this.)"

Sneasel said, "(Wow. I wonder what Hareta would say if he could see you now. That's gotta be, like, really hard to do.)"

Ninetales replied, "(No, it's actually quite simple.)" She then had a thought and asked, "(Perhaps you would like to learn how to do this yourself?)"

Sneasel gasped, "(You mean I can do it too?)" Ninetales gave a simple nod in confirmation.

Before anything else could be said, they both heard Sneasel's mom calling, "(Sneasel! Where are you?)"

Ninetales looked down at Sneasel and said, "(Give it some thought. If you want to learn it, then I'll teach you the next time you're alone.)"

Sneasel nodded, "(Okay, Ninetales. I think I'm ready to go back to my parents now. I'll see you later!)" With that, she turned around and headed in the direction she'd heard her mother's voice. Ninetales smiled to herself before reverting back to her natural appearance and heading back towards the Gym.

**Soon, around the back of the Gym**

"Now listen carefully. This next section may be a little dangerous. We're going to practice throwing kunai daggers and shuriken. They may be made out of plastic for training purposes, but it's still possible to cut yourself on them. Please be careful," Janine was saying as she addressed Hareta, Grovyle, Gold, Meganium, Kotone, Kirlia, Mitsumi, Infernape, Jun, Torterra, Minami, Pichu, and Natsuya. As she continued with her instructions, Ninetales leapt up onto one of the walls surrounding the yard, leaping down afterwards.

As Natsuya stepped up to demonstrate at Janine's request, Ninetales walked over to Hareta and whispered, "(Hey, I saw Sneasel just now.)"

Hareta turned to her and asked, "You did? How was she doing?"

Ninetales replied, "(Well, it seems her parents don't trust you any more than they did when they first saw you. She seems to be okay in spite of that, though. That's what you wanted to hear, right?)"

Hareta nodded, "Yeah. I really needed to hear that. Thanks for telling me, Ninetales." She nodded, snuggling up against his side for the moment.

After a few minutes, Natsuya came over to Hareta and said, "Here, it's your turn to practice." He handed him several plastic kunai daggers, explaining, "Hold them by the sides of the blade, then keep your wrist stiff as you throw them. This will be essential to making an accurate long-distance throw." Hareta nodded and stepped up to the spot where Natsuya had been standing.

While he was practicing, Kotone was off to the side with her Kirlia, helping it practice its attacks with a wooden dummy. "Use Magical Leaf!" she called, Kirlia raising its arms over its head before bringing them forward and releasing multiple glowing light green leaves from its hands. The leaves wracked across the dummy, splintering parts of it off, the pieces landing a short distance behind the dummy. Kotone then called for both Future Sight and Psychic, Kirlia raising its arms once again and this time creating a light blue ball of energy that had light blue sparks of electricity surrounding it. Light blue lightning bolts were soon fired from the ball into the sky, disappearing; Kirlia then used Psychic to pick the dummy off the ground, holding it in the air. Soon, light blue bolts of lightning shot down from the sky, striking the dummy and destroying it.

Kotone applauded, "That was great, Kirlia! You're really getting strong!" Kirlia cheered at that. Suddenly, something went through its mind and it noticed a spare target sitting nearby. It used Psychic to bring it closer before it dashed towards it, startling Kotone a bit. As it got closer to it, yellow sparks of electricity surrounded its fist, yellow electricity surrounding it as it leapt up at the target. It then threw its fist forward in a ThunderPunch, sending the target flying. As it was sent flying, the horns on Kirlia's head glowed light purple. A rainbow-colored ball then formed between them and released it as a similarly colored beam. The Signal Beam caught up to the target and destroyed the rest of it, leaving only splinters of the wooden bullseye behind.

Kotone stared, as did everyone else. "That first attack was a ThunderPunch, but what was the second attack?" she wondered.

"I believe that was a Signal Beam, Kotone," Minami said.

Jun grinned, "Maybe Saturn's Gallade helped inspire it and now it's getting the chance to try it for itself."

Kotone smiled, "Hey, you may be right." She turned to Kirlia and said, "That's incredible, Kirlia! Learning moves on your own like that and coming out to surprise us all... Awesome!" Kirlia let out a happy cry and suddenly began to glow! Once again, everyone looked on as Kirlia began to change and grow taller. After about a minute, a Gardevoir stood where Kirlia once was. Kotone almost immediately ran over and hugged it, happy that it was able to evolve as well, while everyone else either cheered or congratulated the both of them.

Unbeknownst to everyone, someone was watching them from a distance. A cloaked figure was at the very top of a tree that was tall enough that they could see over the walls with little danger of being seen. The figure's eyes focused on Hareta for a moment before it muttered, "Good, he's here. All I need to do now is get everything set up and find the proper bait..." With that, the figure disappeared into the leaves, a slight rustle being heard as it did.

* * *

The ninja outfits worn by Gold and the others resemble the ones worn in the episode "From Cradle to Save."

There may be a slight delay in the arrival of the next chapter for reasons I won't go into here.


	56. Assassin

It's been about three days since Gold and his friends started training at the Fuchsia Gym, and they've settled in quite nicely since then. Because their capabilities had been determined on the first day of training, they now took different classes during the day. But they all met up during their breaks and at the various meals, talking about how things were going for them and who they had made friends with. Overall, it seemed that the decision to stay a week at the Gym had been a good idea after all.

Sneasel was also doing better, having gotten better acquainted with her parents and learning what they had to teach her about surviving in the wild. Every day, she also managed to find time to sneak away from them and visit Hareta and the others. During these times, Ninetales taught her a few things of her own and she'd talk with Hareta about how things were going with her parents. Their opinion of him hadn't altered in the slightest yet, but it was starting to look like they might be willing to give him a chance to prove himself soon.

This morning, Janine was addressing a group of students, which included Gold's group. She spoke, "You have all done very well so far. My father and I are pleased that the techniques of the far east are being passed on to all of you. I must remind you, however, that, at any time, your training is likely to become even harder. So-"

Before she could finish, a shrill cry rang out from the forest, everyone turning in the direction it had come from. Hareta panicked almost as soon as he heard it. "That was Sneasel!" he exclaimed. Immediately after saying that, he dashed towards the wall and leapt up on top of it, leaping down off of it afterwards and running into the forest, Ninetales following behind.

Mitsumi sighed, "Geez, I don't know whether to call him a ninja or a Pokémon now..."

Gold turned to Janine and asked, "Should we go too? Something bad might've happened!"

Janine replied, "I'll go after him. The rest of you stay here. I'll be back soon." With that, she turned to the wall and made a large leap over it, heading in the direction she suspected Hareta was going.

Kotone grinned at Mitsumi, "Still unable to tell the difference, Mitzi?"

Mitsumi glared at her, "Shut up." Kotone grinned all the more at that.

In the forest, Hareta and Ninetales were running as fast as they could towards the source of the cry, Ninetales' namesakes and Hareta's headband waving behind them as they ran. After a while of running, they came upon the source. Sneasel was sitting down against a tree, her teeth gritted as her right paw clutched her left arm and her left paw clutched her left leg. Her parents were standing in front of her, worried and asking her to show them what was wrong. She eventually moved her paws, revealing that a type of needle had been shot into her arm and leg, both needles appearing to have breached her skin. "Sneasel!" Hareta said as he began to approach them.

Sneasel's father instantly whirled around and leapt in front of him, holding up his claws while her mother tended to her. "(You again? What do you want?)" her father exclaimed.

"I heard Sneasel yell! I came to make sure she was okay! Honest!" Hareta said, holding his hands up in front of him.

Her father pointed towards the needles that had just been removed, saying, "(Those aren't Iron Thorns or Silver Spikes that were thrown at her! They're darts, and only the ones at that building you're staying in use those around here! How do I know you or one of your fellow humans didn't do that?)"

Hareta replied, "I know it wasn't me! I don't know who else is out here, but-"

Before he could finish, Ninetales called, "(Wait, Hareta!)" Hareta turned to look at her over his shoulder, Sneasel and her parents also looking at her. When Hareta asked her what was wrong, she whispered quiet enough for them to hear, "(You're surrounded by a trap!)"

Hareta looked where her muzzle was pointing and immediately saw what she was getting at. A Pineco was hanging on a thread in the tree Sneasel was leaning against, seeming to be waiting for something. Looking without moving his head, he could see that the nearby trees to the right and left also had Pineco in them. He figured there had to be at least one more, probably behind him, to make a type of box. "Those are..." Before he could finish, the Pineco all glared down at him, each of them letting out an angry shout! "PINECO!" Hareta exclaimed.

Sneasel's father whirled around, both at Hareta's exclamation and the angry shouting. Before he could move, Hareta grabbed him in his left arm, catching him by surprise, and then dashed towards Sneasel and her mother, grabbing them with his spare arm. He then focused his Aura into his legs and made a massive leap, going above the tree tops as the Pineco began to glow white. Seconds later, a large explosion erupted, engulfing the trees in flames.

Hareta managed to land back on the ground safely and turned to look at the damage. The Pineco seemed to be okay, aside from being knocked out, but the explosion had set the treetops on fire, and a forest fire was sure to break out. "Oh no! We've gotta contain the damage!" Hareta exclaimed. He quickly set his passengers down and reached into one of the pouches on his belt, pulling out a Poké Ball and sending Empoleon out. He then called for a Rain Dance, rain clouds filling the skies as a sudden downpour started.

Ninetales, who had leapt back to safety once she saw what Hareta move to help Sneasel and her parents, said, "(It's not enough! The fire's going to spread!)"

Suddenly, Janine leapt down from the branches, throwing two Poké Balls as she came down. They released a Tentacruel and a Vaporeon, both Pokémon letting out a cry as they appeared. After that, she called to Hareta, "Quickly, Hareta! We've got to work fast!" Hareta nodded, and both Trainers called for a Hydro Pump, Empoleon, Vaporeon, and Tentacruel each releasing a powerful stream of water at the trees. Within a minute, the fires were put out; the surrounding trees were only lightly burned, but the trees where the Pineco had been hanging from were in bad shape. Janine sighed, "Thank goodness." She turned to Hareta and asked, "What happened here? Who caused that fire?"

Hareta replied, "I don't know. Those trees had Pineco in them, and they all used Explosion at the same time." He then remembered Sneasel and added, "Whoever put them there must've been the same person that hurt Sneasel!"

Janine asked, "Your friend has been hurt? How badly?"

Hareta looked back at Sneasel, noticing that the spots were beginning to leak. "It's not bad, but she needs something to put on her arm and leg for now," he said. He then had an idea and asked, "Do you have any thread? Like a spider web or something?" Janine nodded and sent out her Ariados, telling it to use Spider Web on a tree. Hareta took some of the web and grabbed some leaves out of the tree before coming over to Sneasel. Putting the leaves and thread together, he made a pair of makeshift bandages to apply pressure.

Janine nodded, "I see. A clever use of ordinary objects to solve a problem." Once Hareta was done, Sneasel thanked him, Hareta smiling at her and then thanking Empoleon for putting out the fire. Sneasel's parents both watched this silently, thinking, "_(Maybe we were wrong about him after all...)_"

They both came over afterwards, Sneasel's father saying, "(Human... Thank you for saving us and helping our daughter...)" Hareta nodded, though he noticed that Sneasel's father looked like he wanted to say something else as well.

Before he could, Janine spoke, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but this really isn't the place for this. We should get back to the Gym. It will be safer there."

Hareta stood up and both he and Empoleon nodded. He then turned back to Sneasel and her parents, saying, "Maybe you should come too. If there's someone out here, they might try to come after you again." Sneasel's parents couldn't argue with that, so they allowed Hareta to carry Sneasel while they followed him, Empoleon, Janine, her Pokémon, and Ninetales back to the Gym.

Unnoticed by anyone else, the figure from before was watching from a distance with a pair of binoculars. "Argh... I can't believe he survived that. I guess he is as unpredictable as my client said he was." The figure then lowered the binoculars, saying, "This should be interesting, though. It's been a while since I've had an interesting target like this." The figure then disappeared, heading deeper into the forest.

As soon as they got back to the Gym, they found the entire group, along with Minami, Pichu Natsuya, and Koga waiting for them. Jun was the first to speak, "Hareta, what happened out there? One second you're heading out to help Sneasel, the next minute there's a big explosion!"

Koga looked at Janine and said, "I must agree. What happened, Janine?"

Janine explained, "It would appear someone is out to get Hareta. They injured Sneasel, likely knowing that he'd come to help, and had Pineco waiting in the trees. They exploded shortly after he arrived in the area where Sneasel was located."

Koga nodded, "I see. Then it's too risky to talk out here. We'll discuss this matter inside." He then led everyone inside the Gym, Sneasel's parents following behind.

Everyone gathered in one of the rooms in the Gym, the walls in this particular room being designed to keep sound trapped within it. Hareta was busy explaining the events that led to the explosion everyone heard; when he was done, Koga asked, "Hareta, is there anyone you can think of that might want to do something like this?"

Gold spoke up, "It could be someone from the remnants of Team Rocket. That Proton guy really seemed to have it in for Hareta."

Mitsumi asked, "What about Cyrus? He might be harboring some sort of anger after things fell apart back at the Spear Pillar."

Hareta shook his head, "I doubt that. If someone from Team Galactic is responsible, I'd say that it's Charon. He's got the right reasons to want to do it, too."

Mitsumi replied, "Hareta, Charon's an old man. He couldn't injure a Sneasel and hide Pineco in a tree even if he wanted to."

Jun spoke, "Hold on, Mitsumi. Hareta might be on to something. That jerk only cared about money; everything else was just a tool to him, and that includes people and Pokémon. Even if he's still in jail, he could've found a way to hire somebody to carry out his revenge for him."

Natsuya spoke up, "From the sound of things, there are too many possible suspects to try to nail it down. Our best option might be to capture whoever is behind this and try to get the answers from them."

Minami nodded, "It's risky, but Natsuya does have a point. If we keep going around like this, there's not much of a chance that we'll find the answers. What do you think, Masters Janine and Koga?"

Janine said, "It is not a bad idea, but it won't be easy to execute. The forest around the Gym is large, so our mystery guest could be lying in wait anywhere. Locating a possible assassin out here is going to be like looking for a Kecleon in a room full of vases."

Koga spoke, "That is true, Janine. However, it would seem we don't have many other options. It would take Hareta's Lucario quite a while to locate a unique Aura signature, and the same could be said for Psychic-type Pokémon like Alakazam or Espeon trying to use their Psychic abilities in a similar manner. And searching from above won't do much due to the trees. Searching the forest appears to be the best available solution."

Gold asked, "So what are we supposed to do? Just go out there and hope that we don't get blown up or hit with an arrow or something?"

Koga answered, "You could say that. However, I have an idea for searching in a way that would be more organized. Come closer..." Everyone except Sneasel and her parents came over to listen in. With Sneasel hurt, her parents had no intention of having her take part in whatever Koga was planning.

**Later that evening...**

Hareta began to slip into a shinobi outfit that was a darker shade of blue than his usual ninja training outfit, likely to make him harder to see in the dark. He then put his hands into a pair of black fingerless gloves and slid his feet into a pair of black tabi socks. He then slipped his feet into a pair of tabi boots, his toes fitting snugly in the soles of them. He then wrapped a black belt around his waist, to which he attached several small pouches. He was about to put his black hood on when somebody said, "(Hareta?)"

The boy turned around to see Misdreavus floating a short distance away. "Oh. Hi, Misdreavus," he said.

Misdreavus looked him over before saying, "(That's a cool outfit! Blue always seems to look good on you! But what's it for?)"

Hareta smiled, "This is a shinobi's attire. They're are stealth warriors who work when it's dark out. They wear clothing that won't make any noise, just like this. We have to avoid alerting whoever's out there while we're searching for them. I'm sure you know a thing or two about sneaking, right?"

Misdreavus giggled, "(Yup! I like sneaking up on humans and other Pokémon to scare them! It's so much fun!)"

Hareta laughed, "Well, try to keep it in check tonight. You're coming along with me tonight, okay?"

Misdreavus gasped, "(Really? I'm going with you tonight? Wait, what about the others?)"

Hareta replied, "Koga said that everyone coming along tonight should only carry six Pokémon and that they should be well-suited for dealing with fighting in forest-like conditions. So I'm bringing you, Grovyle, Lucario, Alakazam, Scizor, and Crobat with me."

Misdreavus asked, "(What about Ninetales? Is she coming too?)"

Hareta nodded, "Yeah. She's got a nose for picking up scents and plenty of moves that'll be helpful to her. Is that okay?"

Misdreavus smiled, "(Yup! I'm good with that!)" Hareta smiled, then brought out her Poké Ball, recalling her into it.

He then turned back to his bed and knelt beside it, where his other Poké Balls were laid on top of the covers. He knew they could hear him and see through the top of the ball, so he said, "Sorry about leaving you guys behind, but I can't argue with Master Koga. That's okay, right?" They nodded, Hareta leaving after promising he'd be back.

As he stepped out of the room, he saw Minami approaching. She was wearing a dark purple shinobi's outfit, similar to Janine's outfit. When she noticed him, she smiled, "Looking good, Hareta! You just about ready for this?" When he nodded, she said, "Good. Go grab some gear and meet up with us out front. Since whoever we're dealing with seems to have no qualms about doing you in, we have to be ready for anything." She then proceeded down the hallway while Hareta went in the direction she came from to grab a few things.

A few minutes later, Hareta came out of the Gym's front doors, his pouches containing tools such as kunai and shuriken. He also had a wooden bokken in a scabbard on his back and his hood up. Ninetales, Koga, Janine, Minami, Pichu, Natsuya, and the rest of his friends were waiting for him, all of them similarly prepared. As they were about to leave, Hareta stopped when he heard Sneasel say, "(Hareta?)" He turned around to face her, noticing that her open spots seemed to have healed, as she had taken the webbing and leaves off. She pleaded, "(Please, let me come with you!)"

Hareta knelt down to her and said, "Sorry, Sneasel. You were attacked because of me. Your parents are still worried about you, and I don't want to risk you getting attacked again for no reason."

But Sneasel continued to plead, "(It won't happen again, I swear! I was caught unprepared earlier! I'll be ready this time! I won't get in your way! I don't want to be alone again...)"

Hareta replied, "You won't be. Just have faith in me. Unless your parents decide you're okay to come, I'm not going to do something they won't like. So please, stay here." Sneasel looked up at him a second longer before looking down and taking a step back. She was still worried, but she didn't really want to argue with Hareta and have everyone get angry at him either. Her parents joined her as everyone set out, all of them disappearing into the forest.

Not far from the Gym, the mystery attacker was once again observing the scene with their binoculars. "Ugh, how touchingly sickening. That kid definitely needs to be killed," it muttered. The person lowered the binoculars and said, "I've already set everything up. Even if none of that kills this kid, I've still got a backup plan."

In the forest, Ninetales was leading while Hareta followed close behind, Koga and Janine behind him and everyone else following them. After several minutes of running, Ninetales skidded to a stop, everyone behind her doing the same. "What is it, Ninetales?" Hareta asked.

She replied, "(There's a trip wire in front of us. Probably part of a trap.)" Hareta looked past her and saw what she was talking about. Stretched along the path was a wire that was almost impossible to see in the dark.

He turned to Koga and Janine and said, "There's a wire in the path. What should we do?"

Koga spoke, "Move back and take cover. Then we'll trip it from a distance." He then ushered everyone into some bushes along the side of the path, then threw a kunai at the wire with some help from Ninetales. As soon as the wire was hit, ten arrows were fired in a straight line along the path, hitting the ground near and at the spot the group had been standing.

Gold growled, "This guy must be looking to get rid of any witnesses too. I swear when we find them..."

Kotone placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Take it easy, Gold. First we have to get past whatever else they've got planted and find them."

Koga spoke, "Let's keep moving. And keep an eye out for anything else that indicate a trap." Everyone nodded, then they climbed out of the bushes and continued on into the forest.

After a while of dealing with more hidden trip wires, pitfalls, and Pokémon ready to use Explosion at the sight of them, the group found themselves in a large clearing surrounded by trees. Minami glanced around, "How inconspicuous-looking. I have a feeling we're in for another surprise."

Suddenly, a rustle could be heard coming from some of the trees. "It would appear you're right, Minami. Unfortunately, they still have the advantage; all we can do is wait," Janine said. Soon enough, the attackers revealed themselves: Ekans, Zubat, Koffing, Skorupi, all of their evolutions, and Seviper. Lots of them. They formed a large ring around the group, everyone backing up against each other as they eyed their opponents.

Natsuya nudged Minami, "They don't look like they're owned by anyone. Maybe we can use our Capture Stylers to get them to calm down."

Minami nodded, "I gotcha." She told the others, "Natsuya and I will try to calm these Pokémon down with our Stylers. Try not to attack when we attempt to capture them." Everyone nodded, then sent out their Pokémon.

Minami and Natsuya immediately went to work, Minami going after a Drapion while Natsuya went to capture several Golbat. Everyone else started attacking, Janine's Toxicroak and Venomoth teaming up with Koga's Skuntank and Muk while Mitsumi's Infernape and Espeon fought alongside Jun's Torterra and Dragonite. Gold and Kotone were separated from Hareta and Ninetales, so Pikachu, Buizel, Gardevoir, and Noctowl battled together to defeat their opponents while Hareta sent out Misdreavus, Lucario, Grovyle, Crobat, Scizor, and Alakazam to help Ninetales keep up with all of the attackers.

When Natsuya attempted to catch the Golbat, they vanished as soon as he made a loop around them. "What the-? Why'd they disappear?" he exclaimed.

Janine called to him, "It's a ninja summoning technique, similar to your Ranger Signs! The only difference is that the Pokémon are illusions that are able to attack! They're able to imitate actual Pokémon, but they vanish upon being attacked!"

Kotone called, "Maybe, but not all of these are disappearing! There must be real Pokémon mixed in with the illusions!"

Koga shouted, "Okay! We need to figure out which is which, so keep attacking! Make the illusions disappear, but don't try to hurt the real Pokémon too severely! We'll leave them to Minami and Natsuya!" Everyone nodded and resumed the offensive, taking out the summoned Pokémon while leaving the real ones to the Pokémon Rangers.

Eventually, after enduring the attacks of all the Pokémon, there was only a Weezing and a trio of Koffing left. As Natsuya and Minami prepared to capture them, all of them suddenly puffed up and released their gas in a large Explosion, spreading their gasses around the clearing and throwing everyone back. Minami and Natsuya were able to recover and, after Minami made sure Pichu was okay, they went to capture the Poison-types before they could get back up. They were soon caught, at which point they were released back into the wild. Jun sighed as he dusted off his outfit, "Those were some tough Pokémon, but it almost seemed like they were meant to be a distraction more than anything."

Gold glanced around suddenly and then exclaimed, "Looks like it did the trick too! Hareta's gone!" Everyone else looked around worriedly at that, realizing Gold was right. All of Hareta's Pokémon were still there, but their Trainer was gone!

**Meanwhile...**

Hareta groaned as his eyes opened, having been knocked out briefly by the explosion. He checked himself as he sat up, relieved to find nothing was broken and that he still had his bokken and pouches. He then looked around; he was no longer in the forest, but instead some type of room surrounded by stone walls. He stood up and began to walk around, muttering, "How'd I get here? And how do I get out?"

A voice in the darkness spoke, "Finally got up, I see. Good. I was hoping that that last attack didn't kill you." Hareta turned towards the source of the voice, covering his face as torches on the walls in the room suddenly lit up, illuminating the moderately-sized circular room. With the lighting, Hareta could now see the cloaked figure, who began to approach him.

"You... You're the one who's been trying to get me, aren't you?" Hareta asked.

"Bravo, genius. If it weren't for your skills, assassinating you wouldn't even be worth my time," the figure mocked.

"Why are you after me, anyway? What did I do to you?" Hareta demanded.

"Nothing. But I've already been given quite an incentive to knock you off, and I'll get an even bigger bonus when I hand over your corpse to my client," the figure answered.

"Sorry, but that's not going to happen. I already made a promise to come back alive, and I'm going to honor it," Hareta said.

"Oh, and I suppose one of your little pets forced you to make such a silly promise? What a pathetic excuse for a human being, listening to something that exists only to be controlled," the figure replied.

Hareta growled, "No one makes fun of my friends like that! Of course you're telling all this to me because you're not tough enough to face them directly!" After he said that, he began to reach for the pouch containing his Poké Balls.

Seeing what he was reaching for, the figure spoke, "Don't bother. They're still where you left them, but don't worry. If they decide to try me, I'll make sure they join you. Right now, you're all I'm interested in. Let's see if you can fight as well as you can move." The figure pulled something out from under its cloak as it said, "Prepare yourself, pretty boy. It's time for us to dance... the dance of death!"

* * *

I was originally planning for the Pineco at the beginning to be Exploding Tags, but I changed my mind later on, not wanting to make only a brief reference to Naruto.

Janine's Vaporeon and Tentacruel come from her Pokémon Stadium 2 teams.

Um... If there's anything else that's not clear, feel free to shoot me a message. Next chapter will conclude the Fuchsia City Gym arc.


	57. Outmatching a Rogue

"No! How did this guy manage to get Hareta? We've got to find them before something happens to Hareta!" Natsuya exclaimed, panicking at Gold's revelation.

"Natsuya, calm down! We're not going to be much help to him if we're panicking! Especially since whoever is behind this made sure to cover their tracks well," Minami said.

Gold waved his hand in front of his face as he said, "Yeah, no kidding. The smell of the gas from the Weezing and Koffing is still strong. Even if we wanted to track them by scent, that stink is too heavy; we'd pretty much have to wait for it to dissipate before the Pokémon could try to track Hareta's scent."

Kotone asked, "So what should we do, then? They could be anywhere in this forest. This weirdo could've taken Hareta out of the forest for all we know!"

Koga spoke, "It would appear that we have no choice but to split up. The scent is going to be following us around for a while, and time is not on our side now. I will go with Janine to the north of here, Minami and Natsuya will search to the east, Ninetales, Jun, and Mitsumi shall search to the south along the path we came, and Gold and Kotone will take Hareta's Pokémon and search to the west. We'll meet back here in one hour, whether we find Hareta or not. Agreed?" Everyone nodded, at which point they split up, running into the woods in their assigned direction.

As they took off, none of them noticed that Sneasel and her parents had been watching everything, having arrived just as the battle was wrapping up. Because they were up in the trees, they weren't blasted with the gasses like everyone else had been. "(Mommy, daddy, can we look for Hareta too?)" Sneasel asked.

Her father replied, "(Hmm. Since we weren't hit by that stink, we'll probably have a better chance of telling his scent apart from something else since it won't be hanging around us. Still, it'll take some luck to figure out where his scent leads, and that's assuming he was dragged away. If he was carried, it might not make much of a difference...)"

Sneasel said, "(But we should at least try to find him! Even something small could end up making a big difference here, whether it's his scent or a scrap of clothing! And I know his scent well! Please!)"

Sneasel's mother replied after a moment, "(Well, you've held up okay so far. I suppose it will be all right if we help in the search. Just stay close to us while we're moving, just like on the way here, okay?)" Sneasel nodded, then all three of them began leaping through the trees, moving through the forest as fast as they could go.

**Meanwhile...**

"Get ready, boy!" The object in the figure's hand extended, becoming the size of a javelin or a staff. With the light that the torches provided, Hareta could see that it was mostly green except for the tip, which was black and appeared to be some type of flower. He had no time for further looking, however, as his attacker began to dash towards him, quickly closing the gap between them.

Hareta grabbed the hilt of the wooden Bokken on his back and drew it, saying, "Don't underestimate me just because I'm a kid!" He then made a horizontal swing with it as the assassin got close, but they easily dodged it and took the flower-like object in both hands, striking at him with the bottom of it. Hareta moved as quick as he could to block the hits, but his attacker was quick when it came to single strikes, striking the thick Bokken almost too fast for Hareta to keep up with the strikes.

Eventually, Hareta managed to jump away, his attacker coming at him immediately after he landed. Before they could reach him, Hareta took his Bokken in a reverse grip in both hands, thrusting the tip of the blade into the ground as he focused his Aura into his arms. The impact with the ground sent bits of rock flying in the direction of the assassin, forcing them to stop. Hareta took the opportunity and switched his grip on his sword, bringing it back and making another horizontal swing as he focused some of his Aura into the blade itself. This caused it to release a crescent-shaped wave of blue Aura energy when it went in front of him. "What the-?" the assassin exclaimed at this; it was so surprising that the assassin got hit by the wave, which cut through the cloak and sent the assassin flying back, raising a cloud of dust when they landed.

"Did that do it?" Hareta asked, looking at the dust cloud carefully.

He soon got his answer, as a figure stood up in the midst of the dust. "Very impressive, Hareta. Looks like my client's information about your battle skills was right after all. Good thing I prepared for this," the assassin spoke. When the dust settled down, Hareta could clearly see the assassin now that the cloak had been ruined, but it wasn't who he was expecting.

"You... you're a... a girl?" Hareta exclaimed in shock. What stood before him was a young woman wearing a red cap that was white in the front and had blonde hair that hung down in curls on the sides of her face under the hat. She wore a black long-sleeve shirt with the Team Rocket 'R' on the front, white gloves that went past her elbows, a white skirt, and white boots that went up past her knees. The 'R' on her shirt appeared to be more stylized than the ones Hareta had seen previously, making him wonder if Team Rocket was still around after all.

The woman smirked, "That's right, I'm a girl. And not just any girl; I'm the Black Tulip!" She expected Hareta to start showing signs of fear, but he just looked at her blankly, not sure what she was getting at. "What's wrong with you? Don't tell you've never heard of me!" she exclaimed.

Hareta replied, "Can't say that I have."

She asked, "What about 009? Or Domino? Any of those ring a bell?" Hareta shook his head, causing Domino to yell, "You disrespectful little brat! I'll have you know that I was once an elite agent for Team Rocket, personally receiving assignments from Giovanni himself!" She then pointed her staff-like tulip at him and said, "You know, I was going to be nice and kill you quickly, but to say you've never heard of me! I'll be sure to drag your death out so that in your dying moments, you'll know why the name 'Black Tulip' was one to be feared!"

Hareta replied, "I told you before and I'll tell you again! I made a promise, and I'm going to keep it! If I have to hit a girl to do that, then that's what I'm going to do!"

Domino smirked, "Hit me? Well, that's probably about all you'll be able to do. Or at least attempt to, considering you have no weapon." At that, Hareta glanced down at his wooden sword and realized that most of the blade had been broken off! Domino's earlier strikes had weakened the blade at several crucial points, causing it to be reduced to a few inches of wood during Hareta's last two attacks. Hareta continued looking down at it, as if in disbelief. Domino taunted, "Aw, what's the matter, baby? Are you going to cry? Wanna go back to your mommy? Maybe tell her how scared you are? Or better yet, perhaps-"

She was cut off when Hareta's face suddenly glared up at her, causing her to stop in mid-sentence as he shouted, "AW, SHUT UP!" He then tossed the remains of his Bokken up in the air, catching it in a reverse grip and throwing it like a spear immediately after he caught it.

Domino sidestepped just as the sword went shooting past her, almost taking off part of her hair and left ear as it flew into the wall, where it shattered into woodchips. She gulped, "This kid's got quite a throwing arm..." She then turned back to him and said, "Not a bad idea, but you still could've used that for something. Now you really don't have a weapon, idiot!"

Hareta glared at her for a moment, but he soon smirked, "That's not true. I've got a real weapon that I can call upon when I need it. But I don't think I need it yet. So..." He reached back into one of his pouches and pulled out three shuriken, holding them up so Domino could see.

Domino laughed, "Ha! What, you actually think you're a ninja after a few days of training? Don't make me laugh!" She dropped her long tulip on the ground and, after taking a moment to prepare, began to throw many regular-sized black tulips at him! Hareta leapt up at this and threw all of his shuriken at the same time, the metal stars cutting through several tulips that were coming for him while he twisted his body around to dodge the rest. Domino noticed the shuriken were coming for her, so she frantically grabbed her flower staff and leapt back, doing a back flip as each of the shuriken hit the ground. She stopped after the last one hit, panting, "Geez... This kid isn't even a full ninja yet and he can throw those like he's been doing it all his life? I know what my client said, but still..."

Hareta whistled, "That was pretty good! I'm starting to see why you expected me to know about you. But whatever. It looks like it doesn't matter if I fight you at close range or from far away. In that case..." He reached back into his pouch and pulled out a pair of kunai daggers, taking one in each hand before finishing, "...it's time to dance!"

Hareta then broke out into a dash towards Domino, running as fast as a Lucario! He soon reached her, lashing out with his kunai as he got close. Domino quickly brought up her staff, doing her best to block Hareta's quick slashes. "You... you spoiled little brat! You're my target, my prey! This is impossible!" she shouted. The tables had turned, as now Hareta was backing Domino into a corner.

"You get it now? I told you not to underestimate me!" Hareta shouted as he leapt up and made another slash with his right kunai, which was blocked by Domino's staff. After a minute more of this, they reached a standstill, both of them pushing against each other's weapon. A moment later, Domino moved back, throwing Hareta off balance, and thrust the end of her staff into his face, further disorienting him. She then brought her left leg up and booted him in the face, sending him rolling backwards. After he stopped, Hareta quickly stood up and said, "Gotcha!"

He then threw both Kunai towards Domino's feet, both of them landing right in front of her. "Another stupid idea! I've got you... ugh...!" Domino gagged as Hareta suddenly dashed up to her and slammed his fist into her abdomen with an uppercut, the Black Tulip being held up on his fist. "You... beast! How dare you hit a lady?" Domino growled as she hung limply.

"Hey, I already said I would hit you if I had to! What are you getting all surprised about?" Hareta replied. He then brought his fist down and immediately slammed her in the stomach again, this time with his knee, causing her to drop her staff. It also sent her flying, her body landing near a wall. "You wanna keep going with this?" Hareta called. He looked on with a startled glance as she stood up and glared at him. He then reached down and pulled his daggers out of the ground as she brought out another tulip staff. "I'll take that as a yes..." he muttered before they dashed towards each other again.

**Meanwhile...**

Gold and Kotone were searching the ground with Pikachu, Buizel, Gardevoir, and Hareta's Alakazam and Scizor while his Lucario, Grovyle, and Misdreavus were searching from the trees and Crobat, Noctowl, Beautifly, and Beedrill searched from the air. So far, their search had yielded no results; the stink around them had dissipated somewhat, but it was still lingering and there were no signs of a struggle or that someone had been dragged.

"Ugh, there's gotta be something around here that will give us a hint!" Gold growled, looking around and trying to see what he could in the dark.

Kotone was bent down, examining something at the base of a tree. After a minute, she stood up, "The broken sticks at the base of this tree look like they got knocked off by something. Maybe Hareta was carried through the trees."

Gold turned to her and said, "Well, I can see how that would be possible, Kotone, but it doesn't help much. We still don't know which direction they went in." Suddenly, there was a rustling in a nearby tree, everyone turning to face it to see Sneasel and her parents jumping down out of it. "Sneasel? What are you and your parents doing here?" Gold asked.

"Sneasel! Sneasel Snea!" she replied. Obviously, Gold and Kotone couldn't understand what she was saying, but they figured she came to look for Hareta too. Sneasel and her parents joined the others in looking for a minute before Sneasel's mother called to her daughter. She came over and examined what had caught her mother's attention for several moments before giving an excited shout. She then called to the others before she and her parents took off into the forest.

"She must've picked up on Hareta's scent! We must be getting close!" Kotone said as she, Gold, and their Pokémon followed behind Hareta's Pokémon.

"But how...? Oh right, she wasn't caught in that explosion. She can smell just fine!" Gold realized. They both picked up the pace, hoping that it wasn't too late.

**Back with Hareta and Domino...**

Hareta and Domino continued around the circular room, slashing at each other and doing their best to block the other's attacks. Eventually, Domino got a lucky strike in, sending both of Hareta's kunai flying. He retaliated by kicking her away before making a dash towards the blades while Domino ran after him after recovering from the kick. Before Hareta could reach the daggers, Domino threw one of her tulips on an angle, hitting the kunai and knocking them away from Hareta, causing him to lose his balance and land on his face. As he stood up, Domino got up behind him and brought her staff up in front of him, holding it at both ends while the middle was pressed up against his neck. She grinned, "You put up quite a fight, but it's over now. Any last words, Hareta?"

Although she was beginning to apply pressure, Hareta could still breathe, so he answered, "Yeah. Hope you're ready to lose!" He then brought his arms in front of him, then spread them out as he unleashed his Aura with a shout! The force sent Domino flying back while her staff was pushed in the opposite direction, clattering on the ground. When she recovered from the landing, she looked up to see Hareta looking back at her over his shoulder, his eyes glowing blue as his Aura billowed around him like a blue flame.

Despite herself, Domino was starting to feel scared at this sight. "You... What the heck are you? A demon? A heck-borne magician?" she exclaimed. As Hareta turned to face her, she managed to regain her composure and stood up, saying, "I suppose it doesn't matter. You've only delayed the inevitable, you know. I'll finish you this time!" She then brought out another flower staff and ran towards him again.

Hareta stood his ground, watching Domino approach him. As she got closer, Hareta held his right arm back and called, "Arceus, please send me Tsumugari!" Shortly after he finished speaking, Domino was upon him, about to strike him on the head with her staff. Before it could connect, he swung his right arm and the blue sword known as Tsumugari came into contact with the staff, effectively stopping it.

"What the-? Where did that come from?" Domino screamed, having not seen him pull the sword out from anywhere.

"I told you I had a weapon that I could upon when I need it. Did you forget already?" Hareta replied. Domino continued to wrestle against Hareta for several moments before he leapt back. She then charged him, trying to strike him on the head again. Hareta sidestepped the strike and then walked up her staff; once he was about level with her head, he made a sideways slash...

CLANK!

Shortly after that metallic sound rang out, Domino went flying back again after dropping her staff, rolling on the ground for a short distance before coming to a stop. She sat up afterwards, a hand on her swollen cheek. "Argh! What did you hit me with?" she exclaimed.

Hareta pointed Tsumugari towards her and answered, "The blunt side of Tsumugari. What, you thought I was gonna make a mess? I'm sure the safeguard would activate if I tried that anyway, but I can still hit you with nonlethal attacks."

Domino growled as she stood up, "Stop toying with me!" She made a dash for the staff she had dropped earlier and, after grabbing it, charged Hareta once again. When she got within striking range, she lashed out at him, only for Hareta to jump above her. While he was up in the air, he brought up his free left hand and began charging an Aura Sphere. When he turned around, he released it in a different way: the sphere broke into several beams, all of which were fired in Domino's direction. She managed to leap out of the way before they could hit her, a small explosion resulting as they hit the ground.

After landing, Hareta said, "You don't wanna play anymore? But there's still one more game I wanted to play." He then created another Aura Sphere in his left hand and threw it up, the sphere coming straight down after a moment as he took Tsumugari in both hands. Once it was within range, he shouted, "Home run!" and swung his sword like a baseball bat, sending the Aura Sphere flying towards Domino at high speed.

She gagged, "You've got to be kidding me!" The former Team Rocket elite agent tried to jump to the side, but she only succeeded in not getting hit by the Aura Sphere. The explosion that was created sent her flying once again. After recovering, she ran at Hareta again, who hadn't moved since he attacked. She attempted to strike him with her staff, Hareta retaliating by slashing with Tsumugari. They both held and began pushing against each other again.

Suddenly, a large explosion sounded in the direction Hareta was facing. "What was that?" he asked. Domino took advantage of the distraction to dash past him, knocking him over with the end of her staff. After she stopped, she turned around and leapt up, attempting to hit Hareta with an aerial strike. Just as she was about to hit him, Hareta rolled over onto his back, out of her attack range, and pushed his legs up, coming into contact with her left knee. It threw her off, causing her to not only hit the ground hard on her front, but also rather awkwardly.

Before Domino could get up, Sneasel suddenly appeared in front of her, pointing her claws at Domino's face. Both of Sneasel's parents stood at her sides, as if daring Domino to make any sudden movements. As Hareta stood up, a voice called out, "Hey, Hareta!" Shortly afterwards, all of Hareta's Pokémon, Gold, Kotone, and their Pokémon arrived in the room.

Before anyone could run towards anyone, Domino growled, "I'm not finished yet!" She swept her left arm, which was underneath her head, out in front of her, forcing Sneasel and her parents to jump back. She then stood up and, with her staff in hand, ran at Hareta, who simply dodged her anger-driven attacks. He knew that it was over, that there was no reason to fight now, but apparently she didn't get it.

While watching Hareta dodge Domino's attacks, Kotone turned to Gold and said, "She looks a bit flustered. Maybe she could use some new threads. What do you think?"

Gold looked back at her a moment before catching on and saying, "Yeah, that could help!" When Hareta leapt away from Domino, he called, "Alright Beedrill, use String Shot!" At that, the Poison Bee Pokémon released a stream of silk from its mouth at Domino, catching her by her feet and making her fall over.

Kotone called, "Okay Beautifly, finish the job!" The Butterfly Pokémon fired a white string from its mouth at Domino, tying up the rest of her and leaving her unable to move. Seeing her struggle on the floor, Hareta recalled his Aura, his eyes returning to their greenish-brown color.

Gold smiled as he followed Hareta's Pokémon over to him, "That was pretty tight, Hareta. You still holding up okay?"

The boy replied, "Yeah, but I'm glad you guys found me. No telling how much longer Domino was going to keep fighting."

Kotone glanced down at the blonde-haired woman, who was still struggling to free herself of the thread restraining her, "Domino? So she was the one who was out to get you?"

Hareta nodded, "Yeah." Afterwards, he talked to Arceus through Tsumugari, thanking the Alpha Pokémon for sending him the sword, who replied that he'd always be watched over, and then had it sent back to the Hall of Origin. He then comforted both Sneasel and Misdreavus, who came over and got up in his chest, while thanking everyone else for finding and helping him.

Not long afterwards, Ninetales arrived in the cave-like room, followed by Minami, her Pichu, Natsuya, Koga, Janine, Jun, and Mitsumi. Ninetales immediately ran over to him and stood up her hind legs, almost pushing him onto the ground as he gave her a hug. Gold grinned at everyone else, "Hey, you guys made it!"

Jun grinned back, "Well, it's a good thing that explosion earlier was so loud. It ended up catching everyone's attention."

Kotone said, "Well, if it weren't for Sneasel and the battle going on between Hareta and Domino, that explosion might not have happened."

Jun looked down at the woman, saying, "Domino? Whoa! She's..." Everyone expected Jun to say something about her being pretty, Mitsumi even ready to glare at him, but instead, he said, "...not my type." Everyone fell over at that. For Jun, that was completely unexpected.

Standing up, Janine said, "Well regardless, she's going to have a lot of explaining to do once we get back to the Gym."

**Later, back at the Fuchsia Gym**

Domino was down on her knees in the middle of one of the rooms in the Gym, most of the thread on her removed. The little bit that was left was keeping her arms together behind her back and restricting her legs. Everyone, including Sneasel's parents, surrounded her, just in case she tried anything funny. There was a small black bag against one of the walls, having been found hidden in the room where Hareta and Domino fought.

Domino huffed, "Hmph! Catching me is one thing, but getting me to talk is another. I don't have to tell you anything I don't want to."

Koga replied, "Perhaps, but whether you do or not won't change where you're going. You might as well tell us what you know now instead of having the police force it out of you."

Mitsumi stepped over to her and added, "We can always have one of our Psychic-type Pokémon read your mind, you know. Compared to the way the police does things, our way will probably actually seem pleasant." Domino huffed again, turning her head away from Mitsumi.

Hareta pressed, "Come on, Domino. You said something about a client. Are they going to do something to you if you tell anyone about what they paid you to do?"

Domino answered, "I doubt it. All he seemed to care about is whether I could get the job done or not. Even though he was paying me, it almost felt like he didn't care about how it turned out."

Janine said, "So why don't you tell us about this client of yours? You might as well talk now and save yourself some trouble."

Domino glared out of the corner of her eye before relenting, "Fine. You want to know? It was a simple hired hit. That's all. Nothing more, nothing less."

Mitsumi said, "Somehow, I doubt that's all there is to it. Who asked for your services?"

Domino answered, "I don't know his name! All I remember is that his voice gave me the creeps. Every word out of his mouth just about scared me half to death..."

Natsuya asked, "A voice? That's all you can remember?"

Domino growled, "That's all I've got to go on! It was a phone call, okay? A regular phone call. No videophone or anything fancy. They could've been using a rotary phone for all I know. That's how I've been doing business, anyway: pick up the phone, get the information, and carry out the job!"

Minami asked, "And you agreed to kill a nine year old kid?"

Domino nodded, "Yes, with some persuasion. I told the guy that I don't whack kids, so he provided me a push to convince me to take the job: a hundred million Pokédollars! He also promised that if I delivered the corpse to him, he'd pay me at least another hundred million."

Gold gagged, "So you took the job just because you were promised money?"

Domino grinned, "Duh! The Pokédollar sign never lies, genius! Besides, I needed the money!"

Kotone asked, "For what?"

Domino answered, "To bring back Team Rocket the right way!" At everyone's looks, she explained, "After our defeat at the Sevii Islands branch, Archer chose to take the remains of the team underground like a pack of cowards instead of avenging the loss of our leader. I proposed an alternate plan, but he turned me down, saying that if I wanted to be a fool, I could do it myself. I broke away from the team after that, vowing to bring back Team Rocket myself. I became an assassin not long afterwards, working for anyone who could pay my price."

Jun said, "You must've been desperate to accept a job that would pay up front."

Domino replied, "No, you idiot! The money was mine to keep whether I did it or not. But to keep a new Team Rocket going, I was going to need the rest of the money. I took the picture I was sent, along with the information I was provided, and went to search for my target. And that's all there is to it. Team Rocket's true resurrection was finally in sight and now it's all ruined!"

Hareta, who was looking through the bag against the wall, spoke, "I think running a big organization on a bunch of loans wouldn't look too good." At everyone's confused look, he pulled out one of the Pokédollars and said, "Maybe it's just me, but something seems off about this money. Like it's not actually money."

Domino yelled, "What are you, blind? Of course it's money! What else could it be?"

Mitsumi walked over to him and asked, "Can I see that, Hareta?" Hareta handed the Pokédollar in his hand over to her. She held it up, examining it carefully before pulling out a similar Pokédollar of her own and doing a comparison. "Hmm... Hareta, there should be numbers on these somewhere. Can you grab another one and read them off to me?" Hareta fished out another Pokédollar and looked it over, finding the numbers she was referring to and reading them off. "This one has the exact same numbers on it," Mitsumi said after he was done.

"So? That doesn't mean it's fake!" Domino yelled.

"Well, I'm still in agreement with Hareta. Something's off about it, so one more test." She turned to Ninetales and asked, "Ninetales, could you come here for a moment?" The Fox Pokémon came over to her, wondering what she had in mind. She then turned to Hareta, asking, "You have a Stopwatch function on your Pokétch, right?"

Hareta looked down at the device on his left wrist and cycled through the functions before stopping on one. "Yeah, I've got it," he replied.

Mitsumi said, "When I say go, start it. After five seconds, hit stop, got it?" Hareta nodded, so Mitsumi knelt down to Ninetales and held the two Pokédollars in her hands out to her, whispering for a moment. Ninetales dropped a small Ember on each Pokédollar, setting the ends on fire. "Go!" she said, Hareta clicking his Pokétch at that.

"What do you think you're doing? Stop that!" Domino screamed. Mitsumi ignored her, watching the two Pokédollars burn.

After five seconds, Hareta called, "Time!" At that, Ninetales blew out the flames, standing at Mitsumi's side so she wouldn't get burned.

Mitsumi examined the Pokédollars a moment longer before saying, "Yep. I think it's pretty clear that this is fake money."

Domino yelled, "What are you talking about?"

Mitsumi explained, "Look at them. The one in my left hand, the one I know for sure is real, is hardly burnt at all. They're made in such a way that it takes about a minute for the whole thing to catch fire from a simple Ember attack. The one in my right hand, however..." She then held up the Pokédollar, revealing that about half of it had burned away in five seconds.

Domino stuttered, "But... that can't be..."

Hareta sniffed the burnt Pokédollar and said, "Smells kind of like tissue paper."

Domino screamed, "I don't believe this! I agreed to heed his warnings! He agreed to pay me real money! The only thing that ever beat him, he said!" After giving her some time to vent, Koga and Janine helped her to her feet and began to escort her to the police station. Before she left the room, Domino looked at Hareta, who was standing next to the door, and asked, "Well? You got something you want to say? Like I'm a bad person or whatever? Go ahead, say it."

Hareta replied, "No. You might be a bit... rough, but you've still got a heart. Which is why it makes me sad to see that whoever hired you decided to trick you like that."

Domino smirked, "You defeat me in battle, yet you've got nothing but words of kindness and sympathy for me? You're something else after all." She then faced the door and, with her head down and eyes closed, smiled, "Well, even with everything that happened today, I'm glad that this was my last mission before being locked away. Thanks, pretty boy." She was then escorted out of the room.

Jun raised an eyebrow and came over to Hareta, asking, "'Pretty boy?' What's that all about?" Hareta shrugged before glancing back at the doorway. Both of Sneasel's parents knew what she was getting at, though. "_(Pretty boy... It sounds like she wasn't just teasing him. Like she was acknowledging him as well.)_"

**Several days later...**

Hareta, Minun, Gold, Pikachu, Kotone, Cubone, Jun, Mitsumi, Ninetales, Minami, her Pichu partner, and Natsuya stood in front of the Gym, all of the humans back in their regular clothes, facing Koga and Janine. Koga spoke, "You've all done very well with your lessons. Even if you never do something that will require these skills, never forget what you have learned here. It might save your lives or someone else's someday."

Janine turned to Hareta and Gold and said, "I know we didn't properly battle, but after that whole ordeal with Domino, I think the both of you have definitely proven yourselves." Both boys nodded, having received the Soul Badge from her earlier. After a few more minutes of talking, both Koga and Janine wished everyone luck before going back inside the Gym.

Natsuya turned to Minami and Pichu, saying, "We should probably get back to the Almia region now, Minami. Can't leave all the work up to Kate, after all."

Minami nodded, "Yeah, you're right." She then turned to Hareta and said, "This week was a lot of fun, Hareta. Good luck to you and Gold in getting the rest of the Kanto badges." Both boys nodded, after which both Natsuya and Minami used the Ranger Signs to summon Latios and Latias, both of them blasting off to the northeast after saying goodbye to the group.

Mitsumi asked, "Well, shall we be off too?"

Hareta said, "You guys go on ahead. I've got one last thing to do." He and Minun then ran off into the forest, everyone else heading towards Fuchsia City since they knew where he was going. The two of them soon arrived at their destination, finding Sneasel and her parents standing near a tree.

Sneasel turned towards him as she heard him approach, waving to him and calling, "(Hi, Hareta!)"

He waved back, "Hey, Sneasel! So what's the verdict?"

Sneasel's mother spoke, "(We've taught her everything we can, and it's clear that she's really attached to you, Hareta. I think it's only fair that for our daughter to continue traveling with you.)"

Sneasel gasped, "(I can go? Yay!)"

Her father spoke, "(Hold it. Before you go...)" He walked over to a nearby bush and pulled something out, holding it in his paw as he came back over to Sneasel. He then took his daughter's paw and put the object on it. After he let go, she looked down at it; it appeared to be a gauntlet-like accessory that covered her entire paw. When she looked up at him, he said, "(A little gift for your journey.)"

Hareta said, "That's a Razor Claw, isn't it?"

Sneasel's father nodded, "(Correct. It's hers to use when she feels the time is right.)"

Sneasel asked, "(Right for what?)"

Her mother smiled, "(You'll find out.)"

Hareta asked, "So what are you and the rest of your clan going to do now?"

Sneasel's father spoke, "(We've been searching across both regions for a while now, trying to find other survivors. Now that we've found many of them, we're going to return to our home and try to rebuild it. It will take time, but wouldn't you agree that everyone should have a place that they can call home?)"

Hareta thought back to the four years he spent growing up on Route 201 and nodded, "I sure do. I hope everything works out for you. And I'll be sure to come back to Johto so Sneasel can see you."

Sneasel's mother smiled, "(I'm sure you will.)" She then turned to her daughter and said, "(We're going to be off now, Sneasel. Please be careful, okay?)"

Sneasel nodded, "(I will, mommy. I'll grow big and strong for you and daddy!)" Both of her parents gave her a kiss and a hug, saying one last goodbye before they leapt into the trees and took off to rejoin the rest of the clan. Hareta, Minun, and Sneasel stood there in silence for a minute before Sneasel turned to him and said, "(I'm ready to go now, Hareta. Can we get back on the road now?)"

Hareta nodded, "Of course. Let's go meet up with the others." She hopped up onto his right shoulder while Minun climbed up on his left shoulder, both of them hanging on as Hareta ran off to rejoin the rest of the group. As they left, both of Sneasel's parents were watching in the distance, smiling.

A while later, the group was coming to the point where Route 15 became Route 14, everyone having battled their share of Trainers along the way, when Gold asked, "So where are we going for the next Gym?"

Kotone looked at her Pokégear and said, "Looks like the closest Gym is in Cerulean City, the home of the Cascade Badge. And from there, we can go to Mt. Moon to reach Pewter City."

Jun said, "Cool! So how do we get to Cerulean City?"

Kotone looked at the map a moment longer before replying, "Looks like there are two ways we can take. We can go back through Saffron City and enter Cerulean from the south, or we can go to Lavender Town, go through the Rock Tunnel on Route 10, traverse Route 9, and come into Cerulean City from the east."

Mitsumi asked, "Lavender Town? Isn't that the town known as the grave site of Pokémon?"

Hareta cocked his head, "Grave site of Pokémon?"

Kotone explained, "Lavender Town used to have a large tower known as the Pokémon Tower. It was a seven floor tower that held hundreds of Pokémon graves. Lots of people used to visit daily to pay their respects to departed Pokémon. I heard it was later turned into a radio tower and all of the graves were moved to another building called the House of Memories."

Mitsumi said, "Perhaps we should go through Lavender Town on the way. I may have atoned for my past, but I should pay my respects for all of my victims during my time with Team Galactic. Especially all the Pokémon..."

Jun put his hand on her shoulder, "Mitsumi, you're not still haunted by your past, are you?"

Mitsumi sighed, "The memories will always be there. But I'm not going to let myself be held back by them anymore. This is just something that I feel I have to do."

Gold said, "Hey, it's not a problem, Mitsumi. You wanna stop in Lavender Town? It's fine by us, right guys?" Everyone agreed, Mitsumi smiling at that.

As they crossed over to Route 14, the group began to strike up a conversation again. While they were walking along the road near the water, something suddenly caught Hareta's attention and he turned to look at it. When he saw what it was, he gasped, "Look!" Everyone else stopped talking and turned to see what he was looking at, everyone just as surprised as Hareta.

Standing atop the water was Suicune, its purple mane and two white streamer-like tails blowing behind it as it stared back at the group. In particular, it seemed to be staring at Hareta, having done so several times during their encounters in the past. As they were about to get closer to it, something caught Suicune's attention, its head briefly turning south before it turned and ran across the water to the north.

Jun gasped, "Whoa! Did you see the way Suicune ran across the water like that? That was amazing!"

Mitsumi spoke, "True, but I don't understand. This is the second time we've seen Suicune here in Kanto, and according to Gold and Kotone, Suicune's appeared several times in Johto. Why?"

Suddenly, they heard huffing nearby and turned to Eusine standing there. After he caught his breath, he noticed the group standing there and said, "Gold! Not you and all of your friends again! I'll be first next time!"

Mitsumi muttered, "Oh, not this weirdo again..."

Gold spoke, "Still trying to catch Suicune, huh Eusine?"

The man nodded, "Yes. Having followed it here, I'm starting to understand what Suicune is after. To be honest, I would like to keep this information to myself. But I want to be an honest Trainer in front of Suicune! So I'm going to share a clue with all of you."

Kotone muttered to herself, "Yeah, that's nice and all, but I don't think Suicune's gonna stop running away if he just decides to be honest to impress it." Still, she chose to listen to Eusine, as did everyone else.

Eusine explained, "It seems that Suicune prefers a hilly place near water... Somewhere north. I don't know exactly where, yet. It's up to us to figure it out! Who among us will find it first? This should be exciting indeed!" With that, he took off, heading for Route 13.

Mitsumi sighed, "He's still about as weird as the first time we saw him."

Kotone giggled, "Yeah, he's an odd one, all right. But hey, he gave us a hint about Suicune! Maybe we can catch up to it before he does!"

Gold grinned, "Sure! We're already heading north, anyway. Find a hilly spot by the water? Shouldn't be too hard to find!" With that, they continued on their way to Lavender Town. As he walked, though, Hareta thought to himself, "_It almost feels like Suicune looks at me for a reason whenever we see it. Is that why we've been seeing it? Will we get to find out why if we can find it before Eusine does?_"


	58. The Voice of the North Wind

"Well, here we are, guys. Lavender Town," Kotone said as the group entered the noble town from the south entrance. It had taken them several days of walking along the seaside, but at last they entered the town surrounded by mountains. They could all feel an ethereal presence around them, a certain sadness caused by the lingering regrets of the spirits that have left the world, something that could usually only be felt in the hour of twilight.

Mitsumi immediately broke away from everyone, heading for a house that had flowers along the sides and a flower bed in front. Jun silently followed after her, as did everyone else. When they reached the front of the house, both Mitsumi and Jun went right in, but Hareta, Ninetales, Gold, and Kotone stayed outside a moment longer, looking up at the house. "Is this...?" Hareta asked.

Kotone nodded, "Yes, Hareta. This is a place where Pokémon are laid to rest. They call it the House of Memories. It's said to hold all the graves that were in the Pokémon Tower before it was converted to a radio tower."

Hareta looked down and sighed, "Why did they do that? I'm glad that the Pokémon still have a place to rest, but why move them? What was wrong with the old tower?"

Gold placed a hand on Hareta's shoulder, saying, "No idea, buddy. It is pretty unusual that they would put a radio tower in a place where Pokémon are laid to rest. But they've still got a place at least, and maybe some of their spirits actually like listening to the radio. I don't know, I'm just throwing things out there."

Kotone said, "Well, either way, we should go pay our respects too. I'm sure they'll like that." With that, both Gold and Kotone walked inside, leaving Hareta alone with Ninetales for the moment.

Ninetales turned to Hareta and asked, "(You're going to go in too, right Hareta?)"

Hareta nodded, "Of course. I was just thinking... Was Jade laid to rest in the Pokémon Tower? If so, is her tombstone here too?" After saying that, Hareta walked up to the door and pushed it open, allowing Ninetales to enter with all of her namesakes before following.

Inside, they found several rows of tombstones around the interior, some having flowers or wreaths on or laid in front of them. At the other side of the room were a pair of tables, both having potted flowers on them, along with a few candles. An elderly man was standing to the side of the table on the left, seeming to keep watch over the graves.

Hareta and Ninetales began to walk through the rows together, looking around. They passed Gold, Kotone, Mitsumi, Jun, and some of the other visitors as they walked, looking at some of the tombstones. They all seemed to be very stable, making Hareta wonder how many of them were new arrivals and where all the older graves were.

As they were walking along the right side of the house, they stopped along the side of the aisle near the front, where an elderly woman was standing near one of the tombstones. She took notice of the two of them and came over, asking Hareta, "Excuse me, young man. Is this beautiful Ninetales with you?" When Hareta nodded, she gently took Ammy's head into her hands, feeling her soft fur. "What a lovely pair... A young boy and his loving companion, yes?" she asked.

Hareta nodded, "Yeah, we're very close. Did you have a Ninetales that you spent a lot of time with too?"

The elderly woman replied, "Perhaps. It's just that seeing you two reminded me of my lifelong companions. We lived together for a long time... I didn't treat them as Pokémon! I loved them like my grandchildren..." After a moment, she looked at Hareta and said, "No matter what happens, I hope you will always cherish your time with all of your Pokémon, whether you see them as lifelong friends or family." She then turned around and returned to the grave she had been standing in front of, leaving Hareta to think about what she said.

After a moment, the two of them continued walking, Ninetales walking right under Hareta's arm as he gently pressed his hand into her side. They stood up front a short while later, Hareta sighing, "I didn't see anything. Maybe she wasn't buried in Lavender Town."

As they stood together, an elderly voice asked, "Child, what's the matter?" Both Hareta and Ninetales turned to face the voice's owner, seeing the elderly man standing near them next to the left table.

Hareta replied, "Oh, it's nothing. I just thought a Pokémon I know might've been buried here, but I guess not."

The man said, "Tell me about your friend. Perhaps I know where they are."

Hareta spoke, "Well, she was a shiny Lucario. Her name was Jade, and she lived about 300 years ago. I just had this wild thought that she might've been buried in the old Pokémon Tower, that's all."

The man held a hand to his chin, "Hmm... A Lucario named Jade... I seem to recall an old tombstone being brought here that had a name on it. The owner of the radio tower offered to pay for a new one, but I insisted on keeping the old one to keep the Pokémon's memory intact. It might be the tombstone you're thinking of."

Hareta looked up, a bit startled. "Really? Can I-?"

The man shook his head, "I am sorry, but I do not remember where exactly it was placed. And if it is not out here, it is likely in one of the chambers that only I, Mr. Fuji, have access to."

Hareta replied, "Oh... Well, if you see it again, can you offer a blessing or something from me? I would've loved to see her when she was alive, and I want her to know in a way that I'm extremely grateful for everything she taught me in spirit."

Mr. Fuji smiled, "Of course. You do not need to go into details, child. I can see in your eyes that you raise your Pokémon in a kind and loving manner. Those who love Pokémon come here to pay their respects to Pokémon. If I find that grave and it belongs to this Jade, I will be sure to let her know." Hareta bowed, very grateful to Mr. Fuji.

After a little longer of everyone paying homage to the spirits of the Pokémon in the House of Memories, they left and headed for the local Pokémon Center. As they waited for Nurse Joy to come back with Ninetales and all of their Pokémon, they sat around in the lobby. While everyone was talking, Hareta thought, "_It's been a while since I last saw the Aura Spirits of Jade, Grandpa, Aunt Lyra, and great grandpa Hiori. I haven't seen them since Faust was defeated, actually. Did they leave this world, now that I've defeated Faust?_"

He was suddenly jerked out of his thoughts by Mitsumi, who was shaking him while saying, "Hey! Earth to Hareta, come in Hareta!" After he confirmed that he was awake and asked her what was up, she replied, "Nurse Joy is done with our Pokémon." Hearing that, Hareta got up and walked with her over to the front desk.

After thanking Nurse Joy, they left the Pokémon Center, at which point Kotone asked, "So which way do we go next?" When everyone looked at her, she added, "I mean, do we go west back to Saffron City and head north to Cerulean City, or do we go through the Rock Tunnel near here and then head west to Cerulean City?"

Hareta said, "Well, if we went to Saffron City, we'd probably get to Cerulean City much faster, right?"

Jun nodded, "I was just thinking the same thing. I mean, hey, the sooner the better, right?"

Kotone was about to voice her protest when Gold spoke up for her, "But there might be Pokémon we've never seen before in the Rock Tunnel! And who knows what else could be in there! It could be worth our time!"

Kotone nudged him with her elbow, "Thanks, Gold."

Mitsumi said, "Well, I'm afraid it's three against two, then. Hareta, Jun, and I think we should take the faster way to Cerulean City."

Hareta looked up at her, saying, "Huh? I didn't say I was in favor of going through Saffron City. I was just asking a question!"

Jun asked, "So what then? You're siding with Gold and Kotone's suggestion?"

Hareta replied, "I didn't say that either! Look, can't we decide this some other way?"

Jun thought a moment, wondering at the same time why Hareta couldn't make up his mind, before saying, "Well, we could do a Coin Flip to settle this. Does that sound fair?" Everyone agreed, so he switched his Pokétch to that app. He then said, "All right, here's how it goes. If Gold wins the flip, we go through the Rock Tunnel. If Hareta wins, we go through Saffron City. That's how we're going to do it, so don't argue with me. Now call it!"

Gold went first, "Heads!"

Hareta then said, "Tails!" With that, Jun pressed his finger on the screen of his Pokétch, flipping the coin. It landed shortly afterwards, everyone seeing that it landed on heads! Both Gold and Kotone gave each other a high-five at that while Jun and Mitsumi just shrugged it off, deciding to give it a chance before they declared it a 'warn the coast guard' situation.

The group headed north out of Lavender Town, climbing up the rocky slopes to reach the Rock Tunnel. They passed by a Hiker, saying "hi" to him as they did, and stood in front of the cave's entrance. "Wow, that place looks darker than most other caves we've seen. Except for the Dark Cave, of course," Kotone said.

"It certainly does. Does everyone still want to take this route to Cerulean City?" Mitsumi asked.

Before anyone could reply, the Hiker they just passed suddenly let out a great big sneeze, actually pushing himself backwards and slamming into the group, knocking them into the Rock Tunnel! He straightened himself up afterwards and, while blowing his nose, muttered, "Lousy hay fever..."

Inside the Rock Tunnel, Mitsumi called, "Everyone okay? Sound off if you can hear me!"

Gold called back, "I'm good! ...Hey, who just touched me?"

Kotone spoke, "Oops, that was me! Sorry, Gold!"

Mitsumi called again, "Hareta? Jun? Ninetales? Are you three okay?"

Hareta called, "Aside from feeling like I've been dipped in ink and set loose in a coal mine, I'm fine. So is Ninetales."

After a moment, Jun said, "Well, I'll be fine too once whoever's sitting on me GETS OFF!"

There was the sound of movement and Mitsumi said, "Ooh! Sorry, Jun! That was my bad!"

Jun murmured to himself as he stood up, "Hmm, if I'd known Mitsumi was on me, I would've kept quiet..."

Hareta asked, "Hey Jun, did you say something?"

The blonde Trainer replied, "Huh? No, nothing! Nothing important, anyway!"

Once everyone was up and relatively sure of where they were, Kotone said, "Well, we're in here already. We might as well go the rest of the way."

Gold said, "Yeah, you're right, Kotone. But we could use more than a flashlight in a cave like this."

Hareta and Jun turned to Ninetales, noticing that she was nonchalantly spitting embers out of her mouth that didn't make it to the floor. "Hmm, maybe our Pokémon can help?" Jun suggested. Hareta sent out his Minun and Quilava at that, while Gold sent out his Pikachu and Kotone let out her Noctowl. Along with Ninetales, the group began to make their way through the cave, using the ladders that had been placed by Hikers to move between the two floors.

After some time of wandering around (nobody bothered to check what time it was), while they were on the basement level, Mitsumi yelled, "Okay, I am sick of this! We're getting out of this cave now and taking the easy path because I am tired of not being able to see properly!"

Gold winced, "Geez Mitsumi, calm down. I mean, how long have we been in here? Half an hour? Maybe an hour at best? We've probably got just a little bit further to go."

Mitsumi turned to him, "And how would any of us know how much further it is to the exit, Gold? We haven't seen anyone else since we set foot in here! You and Kotone keep getting Hareta to wander off with you to find stuff and I've got to deal with Jun flirting with me when I can barely see him since all the Pokémon have to go with you too! I'm done with walking around in the dark for today!" She then reached into her bag, looking for an Escape Rope.

Suddenly, a bright flash went through the cave, coming from ahead of where the group was standing! "Whoa! What was that?" Hareta exclaimed.

"I don't know, but I saw another ladder up ahead! Maybe it came from there! Come on!" Gold exclaimed, running on ahead of the group with Pikachu. Everyone quickly followed, not wanting to be left behind.

A few minutes later, after climbing up the ladder and going up a set of stone steps, the group exited out onto Route 10. "Yes! We made it out!" Gold grinned.

Hareta looked up at the sky, noticing that heavy clouds were gathering. "Looks like there's going to be some rain," he said to no one in particular.

Kotone smiled at Mitsumi, "Probably a good thing you didn't use an Escape Rope, huh Mitzi? We probably would've had to sleep out in the rain then!"

Mitsumi blushed, "Yes, I suppose that's true." She then glanced down at her Pokétch and said, "Wow, it's almost 4:30! When did we enter that cave?" Everyone shrugged, nobody bothering to check what time it was before they went in the Rock Tunnel.

Suddenly, Jun felt a raindrop fall on his face. "Let's discuss this later! It might get bad real soon!" With that, everyone turned and ran towards the nearby Pokémon Center, nobody taking notice of a large yellow and black bird with spiky feathers flying up in the clouds. The downpour started as they reached the front doors of the Pokémon Center, the downpour soon getting heavier and the sound of thunder and lightning being heard at times.

The next morning, everyone exited the Pokémon Center after saying goodbye to Nurse Joy, refreshed and ready for the road ahead. They headed north to Route 9, following the route to the west after paying a visit to the Power Plant, which was working perfectly. After a fair bit of hiking, they arrived at Cerulean City, ending up very close to the Cerulean Gym. It looked similar to previous Gyms they had seen, except the colors were a little different and it had a painting of a Dewgong along the front of it.

Since their Pokémon were still going strong, the group having run into few Trainers along Route 9, they decided to go to the Gym first. As they walked in, a woman sitting behind a desk at the entrance looked up and said, "Welcome to the Cerulean Gym. Can I help you?"

Gold said, "Uh, my friend and I are looking to challenge the Gym Leader."

The receptionist nodded, "I see. Well, you'll have to change before you go out on the field."

Hareta asked, "Change? Why?"

The woman explained, "All battles in the Cerulean Gym are done in the swimming pool. Aside from battles, it's used by Gym Leader Misty for various other things, sort of like a recreational center. Since it's around a swimming pool, everyone, whether they're challengers or otherwise, must be properly dressed. Shoes, socks, pants, and hats are not allowed."

Gold asked, "So what? Swimsuits and other water gear, then?"

The woman nodded, then pointed to a hallway on the left and said, "The changing rooms are that way. If you don't have a swimsuit, you'll have to buy one from somewhere." Hareta and Gold both had their own swimwear, so they headed down the hallway.

Kotone turned to receptionist and asked, "So spectators have to change too?" The receptionist nodded, so Kotone followed after Gold and Hareta.

Jun was about to follow her when he noticed Mitsumi standing near the door. "Aren't you coming, Mitsumi?"

Mitsumi replied, "Uh... No, I think I'll sit this one out. I mean, I have a swimsuit, but it's not really me. Maybe I'll just look around Cerulean City instead..."

Jun asked, "What kind of swimsuit do you have? Does it have colors that would put a rainbow to shame? Is it a bit too revealing? What?"

Mitsumi blushed, "No, Jun!"

Jun said, "Well, then there's no reason to procrastinate! Come on!" He then headed in the direction of the changing rooms, Mitsumi sighing and following him after another minute while Ninetales decided to wait in the lobby for them.

A few minutes later, the boys were finished changing. Hareta was wearing a pair of swim trunks that were three shades of blue: light blue on top, dark blue in the middle, and navy blue at the bottom. Gold was wearing red trunks that had a purple line going down the sides, as well as his goggles. Jun was wearing white Speedo trunks and an orange rash guard T-shirt. Hareta's Empoleon and Gold's Buizel came out with them.

They turned to face the girl's changing room as they heard the door open, Kotone walking out with her Croconaw. She was wearing a pure crystal blue color tankini, consisting of a tank top and bikini bottom. She giggled when she faced the boys, noticing that Gold was very visibly blushing. She then turned back towards the door and called, "Come on, Mitsumi! We're all ready to go!"

After a moment, the door slowly opened and Mitsumi stepped out with her Milotic; she was dragging a wet towel in one hand and was blushing madly. She wore a purple one piece swimsuit, her hair still tied back in a ponytail. The way the suit fit made her well-developed chest very noticeable. Before anyone could say anything, she pointed directly at the guys and said, "Nobody says a word, and nobody ends up on the receiving end of a rat tail. Is that clear?" Hareta, Gold, and Jun gulped and nodded quickly.

When they returned to the entrance, Ninetales immediately ran up to Hareta, nuzzling up against his toned chest while blushing a bit under her fur. While he petted her, the receptionist spoke, "I let Gym Leader Misty know about you while you were all changing. She's currently in the pool area. Just follow that hallway to get to the pool." She gestured to the hallway across from them as she said this. Everyone thanked her and began making their way towards the pool.

As they walked down the hallway, they passed windows displaying the inside of the Gym's aquarium. They could see many different Water-type Pokémon swimming around as they walked: Golduck, Staryu, Starmie, even a Gyarados. They could even see their reflections in the glass. Mitsumi was the only one who didn't bother to look, her head looking anywhere but towards the glass. "This is so embarrassing..." she muttered to herself. She did look at the glass once, though she looked at both Hareta and Gold when she did. She noticed Gold looked pretty athletic while Hareta's body seemed to have become more toned since the last time she saw him. "_Strange... Last time I saw him in just his shorts was before he went to Johto... I don't remember hearing anything about him working out..._" she thought to herself.

They soon arrived at the pool area, each of them looking around. They noted that it did indeed look remarkably similar to the kind of pool one might see in a rec. center: there were several starting platforms at one end, lane ropes and lane markings, and beach chairs along the sides on the tile floors. Standing along the side of the pool was a girl with orange hair and green eyes. She was wearing a light blue zipper shirt over a white one piece swimsuit and white flip-flops. She turned to the group a moment later and, upon seeing them, said, "My name is Misty. Are you the ones that I heard wanted to challenge me to a battle?"

Gold spoke, "Yeah, that's us! Hareta and I are the ones who want to challenge you for the Cascade Badge!"

Misty smiled, "Enthusiastic, huh? Just like him..."

Jun asked, "Who's 'him'? Your boyfriend?"

Misty blushed, "What? No! Well, at least not since the last time I saw him..." She shook her head and then said, "Anyway, I need to go get my Pokémon. It might take a few minutes, so if you want to jump into the pool until I get back, go ahead." She then exited through an entryway she was standing near, leaving the group alone.

Kotone shrugged, "Well, she gave us an offer. Anyone feel like getting wet?"

Gold replied, "I'm onboard!" He then pushed his goggles down over his eyes and walked over to one of the starting blocks and dived off of it, Buizel following with an Aqua Jet into the air. Gold resurfaced a moment later, pushing up his goggles and saying, "Hey, the water's great! Come on in!"

Hareta ran over to the edge and jumped in, shouting "Dive Ball!" He splashed down into the water, Empoleon sliding into the water after him. Kotone, Croconaw, Ninetales, and Jun hopped in next, Mitsumi reluctantly following after her Milotic. They enjoyed splashing around in the pool while waiting for Misty; even Mitsumi began to loosen up a bit.

A couple minutes later, Misty returned and everyone stopped splashing around, looking back up at her. "Sorry to spoil your fun, but it's time to get out of the pool. I have to set it up for the battle," she explained, everyone swimming towards the edges to get out after she finished.

After he climbed out, Hareta said, "I heard the pool is going to be the battlefield. How do you do that?"

Misty replied, as she undid one of the lane ropes, "I'm going to lay some platforms in the water so that the Pokémon will have something to stand on. They're sturdy enough to hold at least two regular-sized kids. I just have to get all this out of the way first."

Kotone asked, "Want us to help?"

Misty replied, "If you want to, you can help me undo the rest of the lane ropes and get them out of the pool. The actual set-up doesn't take very long." The group complied, helping her undo the ropes and drag them out of the pool. Once that was done, Misty showed them where the wooden platforms were kept and began to set them up in the water. After a short while, the pool was ready to use as a battlefield.

Jun said, "Pretty neat set-up, Misty." He looked away as he muttered to himself, "Man, she's beautiful. Good thing she's already got her mind set on someone. Lucky guy." He then turned back and asked, "By the way, what are the rules for the Cerulean Gym?"

Misty replied, "Oh, I didn't explain them yet, did I? Well, I'll tell you. The battle will be done as a three-on-three battle where both sides are allowed substitutions. The battle will be over when all three of one Trainer's Pokémon are unable to battle. Also..."

As she continued explaining the rules, Hareta suddenly felt something blow across his back, something like the wind... He turned around to look and lightly gasped, Empoleon hearing him and turning to see what had caught his attention, his eyes widening slightly upon seeing what it was. Standing in the entryway they had taken to get to the pool was Suicune! It focused its gaze on Hareta for a moment before it arched its head in the direction of the hall. It then disappeared down the hall, Hareta and Empoleon left speechless at this display.

"And so those are the rules for the Cerulean Gym. So who will be challenging me first?" Misty asked, finishing up with her explanation.

Gold turned to Hareta and asked, "Hey Hareta, you wanna go first?"

Hareta looked down for a moment before turning and looking up at him, saying, "Uh, why don't you go first, Gold? I just remembered I need to go check something out."

Kotone asked, "Just now? What is it?"

Hareta stood up and began to make his back towards the lobby with Empoleon, saying, "Just something I need to look into! It shouldn't take long!" The two of them then hurried down the hallway before anyone could say anything, though Ninetales ran after him, suspecting that something had caught his attention.

Mitsumi muttered, "Well, that was a bit unexpected, even for him."

Misty asked Gold, "Do you think he'll come back?"

Gold grinned, "Oh yeah! He'll be back, no doubt! So let's get on with the battle!"

Misty smiled, "That's what I like to hear! Let's go!" She then went over to one side of the pool and got on the platform closest to that edge of the pool while Gold and Buizel did likewise on the opposite side of the pool. Mitsumi, Jun, and Kotone settled down into the beach chairs to watch, Milotic and Croconaw relaxing on the wet pool deck.

Outside, meanwhile, Hareta, Empoleon, and Ninetales exited the Gym, all of them still a bit damp from jumping through the showers to wash off the chlorine. Hareta was carrying his hat in his hand because his hair was still a bit wet, but he had everything else with him, including his backpack. Ninetales turned to Hareta and said, "(I'm sure you weren't lying to everyone back there, but I have a feeling that something caught your eyes. Am I right?)"

Hareta replied, "Yeah. Empoleon and I saw Suicune standing in that hallway we went down."

Ninetales mused, "(Suicune? I see. That would explain why the receptionist looked a bit bewildered. But why?)"

Empoleon said, "(It looked like Suicune wanted Hareta to come outside, the way it gestured towards the entrance as it did. I'm sure it's waiting for us somewhere where there's little chance someone else will find it first.)"

Ninetales nodded, "(Ah. Well, remember what your aunt said, Hareta. 'Search your feelings.' Surely you'll be able to find Suicune if you think about the situation.)"

Hareta replied, "That's right, she did say something like that... Um..." He thought a minute before murmuring, "The Pokédex said that Suicune is the embodiment of the north wind and pure spring water... Eusine mentioned that Suicune preferred a hilly place near water to the north... Maybe to the north of Cerulean City?"

Empoleon said, "(That could be it. Does your Pokétch say what's north of here?)"

Hareta looked at the Marking Map on his Pokétch and said, "Let's see... There's Route 24, as well as Route 25, which is where the Cerulean Cape is located."

Ninetales mentioned, "(Capes are located in the vicinity of water. Something tells me that that's where Suicune is right now.)"

Hareta nodded, "Okay! The Cerulean Gym challenge can wait! Let's go catch up with Suicune!" Empoleon and Ninetales nodded and they began making their way north, using the position of the sun to help guide them.

A while later, after going across the bridge that spanned Route 24 and passing through the forest on Route 25, Hareta, Empoleon, and Ninetales arrived at Cerulean Cape at the east end of the route. As they looked around, Hareta noticed something waving in the wind atop the nearby large hill. Ascending the steps on the side of it, they found a blue Pokémon standing at the north end of the hill, its purple mane and streamer-like tails blowing in the wind as it looked to the northern skies. Hareta murmured, "Suicune..."

The Aurora Pokémon turned around to face him a moment later, looking at the boy with its red eyes. It then spoke to him clearly, "A pleasure to finally meet you face-to-face, Hareta."

Although stunned, Hareta responded, "Yeah, same here. I was wondering for a long time whether I would ever get the chance to meet you, since you were always on the move."

Suicune seemed to smile at that, closing its eyes and saying, "The wind is a willful thing, child. By itself, it is its own master. But I am the Aurora Pokémon, Suicune..." It then opened its eyes to look at him before finishing, "...the north wind transformed. To the right heart, I will lend my strength, but I have been without a master for so long. At times, I have traveled out to a park managed by Pokémon to test my skills in snow sliding, but what I would really like is the opportunity to battle a worthy Trainer. Perhaps you could grant me that honor?"

Hareta smiled, "If you're looking for a battle, Suicune, then I'll be happy to help you with that. Right, Empoleon?" The Emperor Pokémon gave a nod to show his affirmation.

Suicune smiled, "Good. I have been waiting for this chance to battle for so long. Prepare yourself, Hareta!" With that, Suicune got into a battle stance while Empoleon stood across from it, holding one wing in front of his chest and the other behind him.

Suicune began with a Gust attack, a powerful gust of wind being released from its mouth that froze the water vapor in the air, turning it into little ice shards that were pushed along by the wind. Empoleon countered this with a Whirlpool, the water vortex he created trapping the ice shards within it while the wind caused the it to rotate faster. He then used a Pound attack to knock it towards Suicune, who couldn't retaliate in time and got swallowed up by the water, the ice shards scraping across it while it was restrained.

When the effects of the Whirlpool subsided, Empoleon was confronted with a surprise: multiple ice mirrors had formed around him, each one casting his reflection! Both Hareta and Ninetales were equally shocked by this, Empoleon looking back and forth between the mirrors, wondering what Suicune was up to. He attempted to attack one with a wing, but the instant he came into contact with it, it shattered and he was struck with several times the damage that Suicune had taken from the attack! Empoleon was knocked down by this for a minute, but he managed to get up and turned to face Suicune, who was standing in the same position it had been in when it was attacked. Ninetales spoke, "That was a Mirror Coat, wasn't it?"

Suicune nodded, "Correct. Most Pokémon create a type of shield to reflect attacks back. My style takes full advantage of the 'mirror' part of the attack." It then grinned, "I'd almost forgotten what it was like to experience this thrill! My heart's racing in excitement! Shall we continue?"

Empoleon grinned, "(You're liking this too, huh? That's good, because I've got energy to spare!)" Suicune answered this with an Extrasensory, its eyes glowing gold as it unleashed a multicolored beam from its mouth. Empoleon countered the attack with an Ice Beam, the two attacks meeting in the air and canceling each other out with an explosion. While the dust was still in the air, Suicune leapt into the air and fired off an Aurora Beam at Empoleon, who dodged by using an Aqua Jet to evade the attack. While he was moving, he shot up at Suicune, who twisted around in midair to avoid a direct hit, righting itself as it landed and turning to face Empoleon, who did the same.

Suicune then used Ice Fang, two light blue beams of energy being released from the sides of its mouth. Empoleon countered this with a Metal Claw, his wings glowing brightly as he pushed back against the attack. Granted, it wasn't a favorable match-up for Suicune, but since it was a Legendary Pokémon, the attack was far more powerful than any other Empoleon had dealt with before. After a minute of straining, Empoleon managed to break through the attack and dashed towards Suicune, who attempted to counter with a BubbleBeam. It didn't deter Empoleon, though, as he slashed at the bubbles as he ran, popping them before they could hurt him. It did give Suicune an opening, however, as it leapt at Empoleon after the last bubbles were popped, catching him with a Bite attack. Empoleon winced, but managed to knock Suicune off with his Metal Claw.

Suicune rolled sideways across the ground after landing but popped up during the process, landing on its feet. The Aurora Pokémon was beginning to tire, though, as it was beginning to pant a bit. "This tension... This exhilaration... How long has it really been? 300 years? No, it hasn't been that long. It certainly has been a while, though," it panted.

Empoleon was also beginning to tire, panting just about as hard as Suicune. They were both thinking that it was about time to wrap this battle up. Suicune attacked with Blizzard, unleashing it from its mouth, while Empoleon used Hydro Pump, firing a powerful stream of water at the approaching wind. The two attacks hit and held, both pushing against each other for a minute before they both managed to get past the other, the two attacks rushing to meet their targets. Both Hareta and Ninetales shielded themselves as the cold wind came rushing towards them, freezing some of the grass as it did.

After the attack had run its course, Hareta and Ninetales looked to see that a layer of ice had formed around most of Empoleon while Suicune was laying on its side, breathing but not getting up. They rushed over, Ninetales getting to work melting the ice on Empoleon while Hareta checked on Suicune. After Suicune was found to be okay and the ice on Empoleon had melted, Hareta quickly got some Sitrus Berries out of his backpack for both of them. The berries did the trick, as they both began to feel a bit better shortly afterwards. While Suicune rested on its stomach, it said, "I thank you for that amazing battle, Hareta. It's good to know that I haven't gotten rusty after all these years."

Hareta smiled while he stood next to Empoleon, who was sitting down while Ninetales checked him over, "You hardly looked rusty to me, Suicune! You must've really trained when you were with my grandpa!"

Suicune asked, "Your grandfather? Oh, you must mean Enta. Yes, I did a lot of training during my time with him. I wanted to repay my debt to him, and what better way than by helping him make things better for everyone?"

Hareta asked, "So you knew that I was related to him all along?"

Suicune shook its head, "No, I only found that out sometime after what happened in the Ilex Forest, when I saw his Aura Spirit along with Lyra's, Jade's, and Hiori's one day."

Hareta asked, "You mean they're still around?"

Suicune nodded, "Yes. Perhaps you haven't seen them because of where you travel. They don't want to risk scaring anybody."

Hareta nodded, "Well, I can understand that." He then asked, "What was it like? Back when they were alive, I mean?"

Suicune thought a moment before replying, "When I first chose to accompany Enta until I repaid his kindness, it was... different for me. I wasn't used to being around humans all the time, so it was tense at times, to say the least. But I eventually, as you might say, got used to it. Aside from being a powerful fighter, my natural abilities were excellent for making quick getaways, especially after the Pokémon League had been formed."

Ninetales asked, "You eventually repaid your debt, right?"

Suicune nodded, "Yes. That was shortly before the League was formed. I saved him when he was about to be killed by one of Faust's underlings. He knew it, too, since after we had gotten out of that situation, he told me that I had done what I had promised to do and that I didn't need to follow him around anymore. But by then, I had developed a certain kinship with him. We had become friends. I wanted to stay by his side. And I did. Until he died from old age..."

Hareta looked down, "Oh... I'm sorry..."

Suicune replied, "No, no. It's all right. I was saddened for a long time afterwards, even though I knew it would happen someday. I eventually got over it, but the memories will always be with me... And I later found out about the Aura Spirits. He would visit me sometimes, and I've gone back to the Floaroma Meadow at times to visit his physical form."

Ninetales nodded, "That's right. I remember reading that he was laid to rest in Floaroma Town. Buried with the nature he loved so much around him..."

Suicune asked, "You know about Enta Dia too?"

Ninetales replied, "My clan has collected quite an abundance of information. I remember that the Dia family was among the gathered information."

Hareta said, "So that's why I saw you in Floaroma Town that day... You were visiting Grandpa..." After Suicune nodded, he asked, "What did you do after you had gotten over it somewhat?"

Suicune replied, "I continued to travel the world. Enta wanted me to look for the one written in the legend that Arceus left behind. I also wanted to watch over his descendents, but I lost track of them due to my travels. That's why your similarity to Enta surprised me so much during our first meetings."

Hareta asked, "You lost track of them? What do you mean?"

Suicune explained, "Sometime after the war was over, Enta moved to what's known as the Oblivia region with his family, intending to watch over the people while raising his family. His ability to summon Pokémon and deeds were remembered by the people; I believe they refer to him as a sort of 'Hero of Oblivia' these days. I was gone for a long time after he passed away. I suppose it shouldn't be much of a shock that I couldn't find any trace of his children or their children by the time I returned to the region." Suicune turned to Hareta and asked, "Tell me, where were you born and raised, Hareta?"

Hareta replied, "In the Sinnoh region. My dad left me with Professor Rowan when I was a baby and I started living in the nearby forest when I was four. I grew up among the Pokémon there. I don't even know what my family's last name is."

Suicune nodded, "I see. Enta grew up close to nature too. I suppose it's true what they say: 'the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.' Still, I should've been able to watch over you if I had wanted..."

Hareta could see that Suicune seemed to be troubled by this, so he said, "You know, sometimes in my dreams, I would have this feeling that someone was keeping an eye on me. Not just the Pokémon in the forest, but something I had never seen before. I could never tell what it was, but I do remember something waving behind it. Maybe it was you. Maybe, in a way, you were watching over me after all."

Suicune smiled, "That's very sweet of you to say, Hareta. You have a noble spirit about you." It then stood up and faced him with a serious look, saying, "But enough of this for now. You managed to defeat me in battle. You have proven your worth to me. As such, I would like to offer my services to you. Do you wish to have my power at your side?"

Hareta was a bit surprised by this unexpected question, but he replied, "If I was searching you out just for your strength, I would've just used this on you." He reached into his backpack and pulled out a Master Ball. He explained, "I thought I lost this during the battle at the Spear Pillar, considering it was knocked into the space that was distorted by Dialga and Palkia's fighting. But Mitsumi and Gramps found it afterwards, seemingly undamaged. I wouldn't have wasted time battling you if I was only concerned with adding you to my team."

Suicune nodded, "I see. But you still haven't answered my question. Do you want me to travel with you? You have bested me; my strength will be added to yours if that is what you desire." Hareta looked up at Suicune, realizing that the Aurora Pokémon was not going to let up on the issue until he said 'yes' or 'no.' He thought about his answer carefully...

**Later, in the lobby of the Cerulean Gym**

"You really are good, Gold. I admit that you're a skilled Trainer. Here, you've earned this Cascade Badge!" Misty was saying, holding up the badge in her hand, Gold accepting it. Everyone was still in their swimsuits, having met up with Misty in the lobby after she had put the Pokémon that had battled back in the aquarium.

"Thanks, Misty. But you're a tough Trainer too. Your Golduck, Starmie, and Lapras were good matches for my Buizel, Meganium, and Pidgeot!" Gold replied.

Misty giggled, then asked, "What do you suppose happened to your friend? I figured he would've been back by now."

Mitsumi sighed, "He's probably goofing off somewhere. Knowing him like I do, it's not really that big a surprise. He's always getting distracted by simple things."

Kotone turned to her, "Really? Is that what you know about him now? Or are you basing that statement off of past experience, Mitzi?"

Before Mitsumi could reply, the front doors slid open and everyone turned to see Eusine stroll in. "Ah-ha! I thought I recognized those silhouettes!" he said upon seeing the group.

"Eusine! What are you doing here?" Kotone asked.

"Catching up to you, it would appear. If my predictions are correct, Suicune shouldn't be far from here. I've never felt this close before!" He then scanned the group and noticed they were missing someone, prompting him to ask, "Say, what happened to your friend, Hareta?"

Before anyone could respond, a loud "CUUUUNNNNEEEE!" was heard outside, everyone jumping a bit at that sound. They all hurried outside, looking around frantically. Suddenly, something leapt atop the roof of the Cerulean Gym and quickly jumped off, moving like a shining blue streak. It landed on the ground a short distance away from everyone and they all gasped, not just because it was Suicune, but also because Hareta, Ninetales, and Empoleon were riding on its back.

"Hareta... Dang, man..." Jun muttered, wide-eyed at this sight. He knew his rival had a knack for finding Pokémon, but just when he thought there was no way the boy could surprise him anymore, this happens.

Gold was just as surprised as everyone else, but he soon smiled, "So this is what you remembered you had to check out, huh? Never would've guessed."

Eusine, after a minute, spoke, "Hareta... You are truly amazing. To find Suicune so much faster than I is no small feat. My only regret is that I could not witness the battle in person. I am sure that, as Suicune's Trainer, you two will do magnificently together."

Hareta asked, "Huh? What are you talking about?" He hopped off of Suicune's back, as did Empoleon and Ninetales, and turned to it, rubbing its head as he said, "Thanks for that battle, Suicune, and for giving us a ride, of course." The Aurora Pokémon nodded before turning and suddenly dashing to the west!

Eusine screamed, "WHAT? No! Suicune, come baaaaaccccckkkkkkk!" He then dashed after it, hoping to catch up to it.

Mitsumi yelled at Hareta, "What was that all about? Why is Suicune running away from you?"

Hareta calmly smiled and said, "Simple. I didn't catch it."

Jun asked, "You didn't catch it? Then why did...?"

Kotone interrupted him, saying, "I bet it had something to do with Suicune's personality or something like that. Am I right, Hareta?"

Hareta shrugged, "Something like that, yeah."

Misty chuckled, "I suppose I should be asking why you wouldn't try to catch a Water-type Pokémon like Suicune, but when I think about it, I can't help but feel respect for you. Some Trainers would've done whatever it took to catch a Pokémon like Suicune, even dishonorable things. But judging from how long it took for you to come back here with it, there must've been a big battle and some kind of understanding coming between you two. Seriously, I mean it."

Hareta nodded, "Oh, uh, thanks, Misty."

She then asked, "So? Are your Pokémon too tired from dealing with Suicune to do any more battling today? Or do you think they can manage one little Gym battle?"

Hareta replied, "Well, I'm definitely letting Empoleon sit this one out, but everyone else is ready to go! I think we can handle it!"

Misty said, "Good! I've still got the rest of my Pokémon, so go change and meet me at the pool!" Hareta nodded and ran inside the Gym with Empoleon and Ninetales to go switch into his swimming trunks. Misty followed him inside, Gold and Kotone following after her. They were surprised that Hareta had decided not to catch Suicune, but after knowing him for so long, they figured he had his reasons. Jun and Mitsumi stayed outside a moment longer, looking at the doors before looking at each other and shaking their heads. Hareta could be really confusing to them at times.

Meanwhile, to the west, Suicune was running along Route 4. It had passed Cerulean Cave along the way and noted that something seemed to have happened there, as there were police officers guarding the entrance. Still, it knew that it was a cave full of tough Pokémon, so it didn't really think much of it. It smiled as it came to a stop on a small hill, "Hareta... You truly are Enta's son. You may have decided to let me stay free, but now that I know about you, I'll be sure to keep watch over you from now on." It then began running again, muttering, "That little detour to the popular town I told him about... I'm sure he'll enjoy it, as well as the event that's going to be taking place there."

* * *

Whoo, this turned out to be a long chapter. Let's see what we've got here.

That whole thing about the lingering regrets of spirits was inspired by the opening to "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess."

I was originally planning to insert a joke in the whole Coin Flip sequence, but decided that it was too silly.

Obviously, the bird that was mentioned after they got out of the Rock Tunnel was Zapdos.

Yeah, swimsuit time! I got the idea from the "Pokémon Zensho" manga, where Satoshi was given a pair of swimming trunks as soon as he set foot inside the Gym. The Gym is somewhat based on its anime appearance. Also, when Hareta shouted "Dive Ball," it was meant to be a play on shouting "cannonball."

Suicune's talk about being the north wind transformed was inspired by Raiden's epic entrance in Act 5 of Metal Gear Solid 4.

Suicune mentioning a park managed by Pokémon is a reference to "PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure," where Suicune could be used in Empoleon's Snow Slide after the Bonus had been obtained with all other Pokémon.

The depiction of Suicune's Gust and Mirror Coat are based on how they appear in the "Pokémon Special" manga. Seemed to suit Suicune better.

Slight reference to "Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs" here.

That's about all I can think of right now. If you'd like to know about anything, just let me know.

Music:

Searching For the Grave of a Friend - Lavender Town (Pokémon HGSS)

Into the Rock Tunnel - Upper Steam Cave (PMD: EoT/EoD/EoS)

The Cerulean Gym - Dragon Palace (Okami)

Meeting Suicune - History Unfolds (Soul Calibur 2)

The North Wind Blows - Suicune Battle (Pokémon HGSS)

Memories on the Wind - Weapons Gallery (Soul Calibur 2)

Friendship - The Continuing Journey (Okami)


	59. Heroes of the Year

"Come on, guys! We're almost there!" Hareta called back to Gold (who had Pikachu on his shoulder), Kotone, Jun, and Mitsumi as he ran with Minun, Sneasel, and Ninetales. It was early in the evening and they were running through a forest, heading for what seemed to be a cable car station. After Hareta had managed to defeat Misty's Lapras, Lanturn, and Quagsire, the group decided that their next stop was Pewter City, home of the Boulder Badge. However, Hareta suggested a slight detour to a different location before they headed to Mt. Moon, leading to them running to catch the next cable car.

Mitsumi panted, "Hareta, slow down, will you? It's not like they only send out one cable car a day, you know! We'll get there!"

Gold called back, "Come on, Mitsumi! I swear, I'll never get what you have against exercising!" They managed to catch up with Hareta in the cable car station, following him onto the next cable car bound for the top. Onboard, everyone either leaned against the wall or sat down in the seats.

Hareta, who was sitting near the front, turned to Minun, Sneasel, and Ninetales, saying, "Heh, looks like we made it just in time, huh?" They agreed with him, Minun and Sneasel hopping onto his lap as they did.

Jun took his hand off the wall and stood up straight, walking over to Hareta and saying, "You know, we didn't JUST make it, Hareta. Look around you! We're the only ones on this cable car. Unless they were sending the car from the station at the top down, they wouldn't have sent an empty car up there. Which reminds me, where are we going, anyway? You just threw this detour of yours out there as we were heading for Mt. Moon before you took off running with your Pokémon."

Hareta giggled nervously, "Oh yeah, that's right. Heh heh..." He then smiled, "But don't worry. We'll be there real soon, and I promise it'll be worth it."

Kotone smiled, "Well, usually when you get excited, it usually means that something's going to be good. I know I can't wait to find out where we're going; don't keep us waiting too long." Shortly afterwards, the cable car shook a bit as it began to move, leaving the station and beginning its ascent. As the group looked over the trees to the east, to avoid looking into the sun behind them, Hareta thought back to his time with Suicune earlier that afternoon.

**_Flashback_**

_Hareta slid the Master Ball back into the pocket on his backpack, saying, "It's nice of you to offer that, Suicune, and believe me, I'm flattered. But I don't think I can catch you. You really are like the wind, going where you please. Even if it allows itself to be controlled, the wind is still its own master. I don't quite know how to say it..."_

_Suicune replied, "It is all right, Hareta. You do not need to explain. I understand what you are trying to say. If you don't want to catch me, then I will respect your wishes. But perhaps you would like to hear about something? Something interesting?"_

_Hareta looked at the Aurora Pokémon, asking, "What do you mean?"_

_Suicune asked, "You're heading to Mt. Moon next, correct?" When Hareta nodded, it continued, "There is a city to the north of there, atop a kind of plateau. It is known as Rota."_

_Ninetales cocked her head, "Rota? That name sounds familiar somehow..."_

_Empoleon asked, "(What is this city like, this Rota?)"_

_Suicune explained, "Back before Faust came along, Rota was the center of the former kingdom, as it is where the Cameran Palace is located. Perhaps because of this, it is more medieval-like in appearance compared to some of the other towns and cities you've seen. It is also the site of the annual 'Hero of the Year' festival, which I think you would be very interested in."_

_Hareta asked, "Hero of the Year? That sounds pretty big. Why is it called that?"_

_Ninetales spoke, "I remember now. Allow me to explain. I learned about it from Dr. Kiyoshi. Long ago, Rota was caught in the middle of a war between two Pokémon armies. At the time, there was an Aura Guardian named Sir Aaron who protected the city, the Cameran Palace, and Lady Rin, the monarch at the time. Sir Aaron and his Lucario student were said to have gone to the Tree of Beginning and gave their Aura to Mew, the tree's guardian, almost sacrificing themselves to put a stop to the war. I don't know the specifics, but I believe that the Pokémon returned home peacefully after seeing the display that followed."_

_Suicune nodded, "It goes something like that. Some details are still a little unclear, after all."_

_Hareta said, "I see. Thank you, Ninetales." He then turned back to Suicune and asked, "Do you know what this festival is like?"_

_The Aurora Pokémon nodded, "Yes. I have seen it a few times. During the festival, everyone wears medieval era clothing and there is a battle tournament at the palace. Whoever wins is named the 'Guardian of the Year.' It's quite a big event."_

_Hareta said, "It sure sounds like it! That would be awesome to attend!"_

_Suicune replied, "That's why I'm telling you this. From what I've seen, everything's just about set up at the city. That means that the festival will be either tomorrow or the day afterwards. If you get done in Cerulean City fast enough, you should be able to make it. It would be a nice thing to do with your friends, especially that boy with the backwards cap."_

_Hareta spoke, "Backwards cap? Oh right, Gold. Yeah, I bet he'd love to participate in a tournament like that!"_

_Suicune nodded, then said, "The sooner you get back to Cerulean City, the sooner you can finish what you need to do and start moving. Would you like me to give you a ride?"_

_Hareta replied, "Well, only if you don't mind giving us one."_

_Suicune said, "It's no trouble at all. Climb on." After Hareta and Ninetales made sure Empoleon was all right to stand up, the three of them walked over to Suicune and climbed on its back. Suicune stood up, hardly fazed by the weight on its back, and said, "Hold on tight!" It then took off, running so fast that it appeared to be a blur._

**End flashback**

After a couple of minutes, the cable car reached the station at the top of the plateau, coming to a stop next to the disembarking area. As everyone stepped off, the man on duty came over to them and said, "Welcome, travelers, to the city of Rota! I hope you enjoy our hospitality during your time here, and don't forget to check out the festival tomorrow!"

Kotone asked, "Rota...? Wait, I remember reading about that city! The, um, the 'Hero of the Year' festival, that's what you're talking about, right?"

The man nodded, "That's right! The Cameran Palace will be open early tomorrow morning, so be sure to pick up your costumes before the selection gets picked over!"

Gold grinned, "Awesome! My mom used to tell me the story of the Hero of Wave when I was little! And we're just in time for the festival too! Sounds great, doesn't it, Pikachu?" Although the Mouse Pokémon wasn't entirely sure of what Gold was talking about, he could sense the boy's excitement, so he gave an affirmative cry. Gold then turned to Hareta and said, "Hareta, you rock! You have no idea how much I've wanted to come to this festival!"

Hareta replied, "Well, I'm sure I can guess now. Should we get going?" Everyone agreed, so they bid farewell to the man and started making their way north to the city.

While they were walking, Jun nudged Hareta and said, "Okay, I'll admit it. This is definitely something worth wanting to get to as soon as possible. It's a good thing you stopped us or we would've miss this!"

Hareta smiled, "Well, the heads-up came from a very good friend. I had a feeling they weren't kidding." They continued walking, following the path along the side of the grass and trees.

After a short while of walking, the group arrived in the southern part of Rota, near the center of the city. Everyone looked around at the medieval architecture around them, Gold muttering, "Wow... It really is like stepping back in time. This is incredible."

Mitsumi spoke, "Okay, we'll have plenty of time to look around tomorrow. Let's go find somewhere to sleep for tonight." Everyone nodded and began to walk around, looking for a Pokémon Center or a hotel. They soon came across the famous Rin Hotel, which was offering lower prices on rooms in order to attract customers. They made use of the rest of the prize money from the Silver Conference to pay for a two night stay, opting out of some of the extra services like the massages and room service since they figured tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

The following morning, after enjoying the breakfast that was brought to their suite, everyone stepped outside to find the city was bustling with activity. Definitely a sign that there was a festival going on. "Wow, check it out! Everyone's really excited about today!" Jun noted.

"Of course they are. This festival is one of the biggest events of the year for Rota," Gold said.

Kotone came up beside him and grabbed his left arm, saying, "Right you are, Gold. Now come on! We've got to go find some clothes suitable to wear for this festival before all the good ones are gone!"

Mitsumi said, "The guy at the cable car station mentioned that we could get costumes at the Cameran Palace, which we could see from the station itself. So all we have to do is head north to get there." Everyone began to shuffle through the mass of people, trying to avoid losing anyone in the crowd. The masses began to ease off somewhat when they reached the great stone bridge that connected the small island the palace was on to the rest of the city.

After crossing the bridge and talking to the castle staff, the group was directed to a costume closet, containing rows of costumes on hangers. All the humans immediately began to check the costumes, Ninetales, Minun, and Pikachu waiting for them to find something. While they were waiting, Ninetales thought she felt an unusual presence nearby, the kind that a powerful Psychic-type gives off, but decided it wasn't something to worry about.

Mitsumi was the first to return, wearing a ball gown similar to her Pokémon Super Contest dress that was pink, peach, and white in color. The Pokémon thought she looked good in the gown, as did Jun when he came over. He was wearing an orange short sleeve shirt that had a brown belt and a brown strap going around it, a blue Robin Hood-like cap, white tights, and brown boots. He grinned, "Looking good, Mitsumi! Care to be my maiden for the day?"

Mitsumi turned and glared at him, "Not a chance, Jun. And don't even think of coming near me without my permission."

Jun smirked, "Well, excuuuuuuuse me, 'princess.'"

Kotone came up beside him and said, "Jun, please don't do that. You might have the look, but don't be annoying like that." Jun and Mitsumi looked at her outfit: she was wearing a red and pink dress with long red tights. The left sleeve jutted out to the side, like an armor plate, while the right sleeve was a regular white one.

Gold came out next, grinning, "This outfit is totally me!" He was wearing an outfit similar to that of Sir Aaron's, except he opted not to wear the hat and gloves, plus his cape was slightly shorter, going down to just above his knees in back.

Kotone grinned at him, "It does look good on you, Gold. Heh, imagine if we really were in the medieval era. We'd certainly be dressed for battle, huh?"

Mitsumi spoke, "Right. You believe that if you want to, Kotone. Now where's Hareta?" The boy came out after another minute of waiting. He was wearing the same outfit that his grandfather, Enta, wore during his life, except that Hareta's clothes and bandanna were blue instead of green.

Gold smiled, "Hey, good choice, Hareta!"

Kotone added, "I'm sure your grandfather would be proud of you honoring him if he could see you now."

Mitsumi asked, "What are you talking about? How does an outfit like that honor Professor Rowan? I've never seen him wear anything like that."

Gold answered, "No, not the professor. She means his blood-related grandfather." Both Mitsumi and Jun looked at him quizzically, wondering who they were referring to. As far as they knew, Hareta didn't have any relatives outside of his parents and, technically, Professor Rowan.

Hareta spoke, "Hey, come on, guys! The tournament's going to be starting soon! We're still participating in it, right?"

Gold turned to him and said, "Yeah, that's right. Let's get going!" Minun, Pikachu, and Pichu ran over to the two boys, Minun jumping up onto Hareta's shoulder while Pikachu and Pichu perched themselves on Gold's shoulders. With Ninetales by Hareta's side, they left the costume closet and began making their way to where the tournament was being held. She didn't mention it, but Mitsumi was curious about this grandfather Gold and Kotone had mentioned and decided that she needed to find out more about him.

A short while later, Kotone, Ninetales, and Jun were up in the stands in the Cameran Stadium, watching Gold lead off the tournament after Queen Ilene allowed the tournament to begin. He was using his Buizel in a battle against a Claydol. Although its Rapid Spin and Confusion attacks made it a tough opponent, Buizel was able to find a way through and defeat Claydol, allowing Gold to move onto the second round.

Several matches later, it was Mitsumi's turn to battle. She stepped out onto the field, looking at her opponent: a young boy, probably about Koya's height, with spiky red hair and a blue headband was looking back at her. He wore a jet black tunic over a brown long-sleeve shirt and white tights with black boots and a red cape. He looked similar to a knight without any armor on. The judge at the edge of the arena spoke, "Michael! Mitsumi! Let the match begin!"

Mitsumi sent out her Pokémon first, which was revealed to be her Infernape. The Flame Pokémon rubbed her thumb across her nose, her signature gesture, as everyone waited to see which Pokémon Michael would send out. After a moment, he threw the Poké Ball containing his choice, which was revealed to be a Glaceon! Up in the stands, Kotone said, "Strange... I wonder why he chose a Glaceon?"

Jun crossed his arms and said, "Maybe he's got something planned? I don't think he would've chosen a Pokémon with a disadvantage unless he had something in mind."

Back on the field, Mitsumi muttered, "A Glaceon? Come on, I've raised a Glaceon of my own. That gives me an advantage, as if Infernape didn't have enough of one already." She then called for a Fire Spin attack, flames gathering in the palm of Infernape's hand before being fired at Glaceon. Michael remained calm, however, and called for a Detect, Glaceon's eyes glowing blue as it swiftly evaded the flames. This surprised Mitsumi, as she didn't know that Glaceon could learn Detect, but she knew it wasn't going to do much if Michael didn't try something else.

She then called for a Flame Wheel, Infernape curling up into a ball of flames and rolling towards Glaceon at that command. Glaceon retaliated with an Icy Wind, slowing Infernape down slightly before using Quick Attack to evade. Infernape growled when she came out of her attack and immediately lunged at Glaceon with a Mach Punch, only to be knocked off course when it struck back with a Sand Attack. The sand didn't get in Infernape's eyes, but it did the trick all the same.

Michael then called, "Okay Glaceon, you know what to do!" The Fresh Snow Pokémon shot him a knowing smile before it began to use Quick Attack to move around the field. Infernape watched how it moved before lunging at it with Fury Swipes. Glaceon elegantly evaded the attack and, when it reached the ground, used Dig to escape the Flame Pokémon. Both Infernape and Mitsumi watched, waiting for Glaceon to reveal itself when it attacked.

But Glaceon didn't reveal itself by attacking Infernape. Instead, it leapt out of the ground some distance away from the Flame Pokémon and immediately vanished underground again. It repeated this process several times, much to Mitsumi and Infernape's confusion. Soon, the entire battlefield was filled with holes. "What are they up to?" Mitsumi wondered to herself.

Suddenly, Michael called, "Do it, Glaceon!" After he said that, Glaceon began to use Blizzard from inside the holes, the tunnels that it had created causing the attack to spread out and shoot out of the holes, catching Mitsumi and Infernape by surprise. While the cold winds whipped around, Glaceon resurfaced and caught Infernape with an Aqua Tail attack.

After recovering from the hit, Infernape attempted to hit Glaceon with another Fire Spin, but the wind from the Blizzard was still blowing, acting like a pseudo-hailstorm. It caused Glaceon's Snow Cloak ability to activate, causing it to seemingly vanish before it was hit. Seconds later, the aftereffects of the Blizzard ended, allowing everyone to see normally again. It was at this point that they could clearly see that Glaceon had taken advantage of the brief change in weather, as it had snuck up on Infernape from the front. Before the Flame Pokémon could react, Glaceon fired a Water Pulse at point-blank range, creating an explosion as the attack collided with Infernape, who hit the ground a moment later. The judge soon declared, "Infernape is unable to battle! Glaceon wins!"

Jun looked on in disbelief, saying, "No way... I can't believe Mitsumi got beaten so easily. Who is that kid? How could he beat someone like Mitsumi without taking a hit?" Kotone was about to say something when she noticed that there was a familiar red-haired boy in the crowd, watching the matches intently. "_Silver? What's he doing here?_" she wondered to herself.

While Mitsumi tended to Infernape, Michael gave his Glaceon a hug, saying, "Way to go, Glaceon! It's been a long time since we developed that fireproof strategy, but it still amazes me how you're able to pull it off like that!" Glaceon gave a happy coo at that, nuzzling its Trainer back. Mitsumi saw all this and, while she was initially angered at the fact that she had been beaten without landing a single hit, felt a bit of respect for the way Michael treated his Pokémon.

They had no time to talk to each other, though, as they had to get off the field for the next match, which was Hareta's turn to compete. Mitsumi gave Hareta a friendly pat as she passed him as a way of telling him that she was fine and he should go on. He smiled back at her at that and then headed out onto the field. He had chosen to use Grovyle in the tournament, who had little trouble taking down his Rhydon opponent, allowing them to move on to the second round.

During the second round, Gold went up against a Trainer with a Surskit, which proved to be a slippery little battler due to its speed. Gold's Buizel managed to get the upper hand with a well-placed Aqua Jet, which knocked it off of its legs. Although it was quick to recover, the brief moment on its back left it disoriented, Buizel taking advantage of this and defeating it, earning them a spot in the semifinals.

After the match that followed, it was Hareta's turn to battle again, this time against Michael. The two Trainers stepped out onto the field and sent out their Pokémon, Grovyle and Glaceon waiting for the signal to begin. The judge soon gave them the go-ahead, at which point Grovyle used Bullet Seed while Glaceon retaliated with an Ice Shard attack. The two attacks canceled each other out, raising a cloud of dust. As it began to clear, Glaceon tried to hit Grovyle with a Quick Attack, but was stopped by a Leaf Blade from the Wood Gecko Pokémon.

The two were soon pushed back, landing on their feet. Before Glaceon could make a move, Grovyle let out a Screech attack, making the Fresh Snow Pokémon's ears ring. He then went in for a Slam attack, swinging the leaf on his head back as he prepared to strike. He didn't manage to strike, though, as Glaceon recovered from the Screech and knocked him back with an Ice Fang. Grovyle managed to land on his feet and used Mega Drain, releasing a green beam from his mouth that sapped some of Glaceon's strength and transferred it to him when it made contact.

Michael called for Glaceon to use Dig, the Fresh Snow Pokémon vanishing underground at his command. Grovyle didn't worry, however, as Hareta had him use Detect to evade the attack when it came; he then attacked Glaceon with Aerial Ace when it showed its face, knocking it back. He then fired off another Bullet Seed, but Glaceon easily dodged it and used Icy Wind, causing Grovyle to shiver as he felt a little slower. He shook his head afterwards to shake off some of the effects of the cold.

The battling continued until both Glaceon and Grovyle were beginning to run out of energy, both of them panting as they looked at each other. They were ready to finish the match, so they both prepared one final attack. Grovyle leapt up, bringing his hands close together and forming a green sphere of energy between them. Glaceon could see where the height of his jump was going to be, so it began to charge a beam of light blue energy in its mouth. When they were ready, they released their attacks, Energy Ball and Ice Beam; the two attacks flew past each other and hit their targets hard. Grovyle landed on the ground hard while Glaceon flopped back across the ground before coming to a stop. After several moments, the judge declared, "Glaceon, Grovyle! Both are unable to continue!"

Up in the stands, Jun said, "No way! They tied?"

Mitsumi murmured, "In battle, experience does not always determine who will win. At best, it can influence the outcome. Even so, it's clear that Michael has been a Trainer longer than Hareta has."

Kotone asked, "So what's going to happen now? These are one-on-one battles; do they send out another Pokémon and keep battling until a winner is decided?"

Down on the field, both Trainers were tending to their Pokémon. Hareta knelt next to Grovyle, helping him into a sitting position and asking, "Grovyle, are you okay?" He noticed that Grovyle had a sullen look on his face, so he said, "Don't worry about it, Grovyle. You were really awesome, especially against a Pokémon you had a disadvantage against! There's nothing to be angry about!" He then recalled Grovyle back into his Poké Ball, the look on the Wood Gecko Pokémon's face not changing in the slightest as he did.

As he stood up, Michael came over, cradling his Glaceon, and spoke, "Hey, Hareta?" Hareta looked up at the red-haired boy, who held out a hand and said, "You're a great Trainer. It's been a while since Glaceon has had some tough competition like that."

Hareta took his hand and shook it, saying, "Thanks, Michael! But I think we're done with the tournament now. I don't wanna push Grovyle at this point, so you should go on."

Michael looked back at him for a moment before asking, "Are you sure about that?"

Hareta nodded, "Yeah. I don't think Grovyle is feeling at his best right now, so going on might be a bad idea. Glaceon looks more capable of continuing right now."

Michael looked down at his first partner, who gave him an affirmative cry to show that it was capable of going on, then back up at Hareta and said, "All right, then. We'll keep going as far as we can!" The two boys then explained their decision to the judge, exiting the field on their respective sides as the judge announced that Michael would be moving on to the third round.

The rest of the tournament proceeded at a steady pace, the last of the second round matches being won by a Trainer with an Aggron. Gold and Buizel managed to defeat their opponent in the following round, but Michael and Glaceon got overwhelmed by the Trainer with the Aggron, who was able to defeat them by messing with their strategies. He got overconfident during the final round, however, and left his Aggron open at various points, giving Buizel plenty of chances to inflict damage. The final round match was soon over, and the judge declared, "Aggron is unable to battle! Buizel wins! We have a new Guardian of the Year: Gold of New Bark Town!"

Gold and Buizel began to cheer, as did everyone up in the stands. Above the applause, Hareta heard a familiar voice say, "A short amount of time really can make a lot of difference. And sometimes you can't win every competition." Hareta turned to his left to see a familiar blonde-haired boy standing there with a Growlithe at his side. He was wearing a black Crusader-like robe over a black tunic (except both had Poké Ball symbols instead of crosses). Koya turned to look at Hareta a moment later, saying, "Hey Hareta."

A short while later, while cheers were still coming from the Cameran Palace's stadium, Hareta, Koya, and his Growlithe were standing along the side of the great stone bridge, talking. "I didn't know you were here in Rota, Koya. You weren't in the tournament, were you?" Hareta asked.

"No, I came here to give my Pokémon a little R&R. Especially after some of the investigating we've done recently," Koya replied.

Hareta tilted his head and asked, "What's going on?"

Koya explained, "A few days ago, a riot broke out in the prison that Charon was sent to. I don't know if the prisoners just snapped or if someone on the outside caused it, but whatever the case, they all got loose. And when they were all safely contained again, they found out that Charon had managed to escape during the confusion."

Hareta asked, "What? So Charon is out there somewhere?"

Koya nodded, then calmly replied, "Don't worry, we'll catch him. He's too full of himself to keep himself hidden for long." He then looked away as he said, "That might explain what happened near Cerulean City yesterday."

Hareta asked, "What happened?"

Koya explained, "There's a cave to the northwest of Cerulean City, near Route 4. Most people refer to it either as the Cerulean Cave or the Unknown Dungeon. It's home to some really powerful Pokémon, including, some say, the world's most powerful Pokémon."

Hareta looked surprised at that, asking, "The world's most powerful Pokémon? Near Cerulean City?"

Koya replied, "It's all just speculation at this point, but it looks there might be some truth to it after all. I went in to investigate the cave after some of the citizens in Cerulean reported unusual tremors emanating from the cave. It didn't seem like much, at first, but as we went deeper, we began seeing more Pokémon that were knocked out. And believe me, they were anything but weak. By the time we reached the bottom, it started looking like a hurricane had gone through the cave. And the bottom floor was a real mess."

Hareta asked, "Was there anything down there?"

Koya replied, "Aside from a ton of craters, destroyed rocks, and cracked walls, not much. Either the world's most powerful Pokémon lost it and went on a rampage before passing out or someone tried to capture it. The police are still looking into the matter. At any rate, my Pokémon were exhausted when we got out of the cave, so I decided to come here to Rota and let them rest a little."

Hareta nodded, "I see." They continued talking for a little bit about what each of them had been doing since the Silver Conference.

They were soon approached by the rest of the group, Kotone saying, "There you are, Hareta! We were wondering where you'd gone off to." She then noticed Koya next to him and said, "Hey Koya!" The young police officer gave her a nod at that.

Jun spoke, "Hey Koya. How are your Pokémon feeling, huh?"

Koya replied, "They've had some rest, so they seem to be fine. Why?"

Jun grinned, "Because I've been looking for the chance to have a rematch with you! Since everything that happened during the Sinnoh League tournament, I've been training like crazy so that I'd be ready to face off against you again! How about we go now, huh?"

Koya was silent for a minute before replying, "…Sure. But it's going to have to be a one-on-one match, okay?" Jun nodded, agreeing with that.

Mitsumi spoke up, "You know, after being a part of that tournament, I'm feeling the urge to battle as well. Perhaps Hareta or Kotone can join in and make it a Double Battle."

Koya asked, "What, you can't wait to battle someone on your own time?"

Hareta said, "Actually, that sounds kind of fun. But if we did that, how would it work?"

Mitsumi replied, "Easy. You and Jun can pair up while I battle alongside Koya. That works, right?"

Before anyone else could speak, Koya said, "Me? Pair up with you? Forget it! We may have traveled together, but I'm not battling with you!" He then turned to Hareta and said, "If we're doing a Double Battle, I'd rather pair up with you!"

Hareta asked, "You would?" At the look Koya gave him, he added, "Oh, of course you would! Then let's get this battle on!" They made their way over the bridge towards the center of Rota, Mitsumi fuming a bit at the way Koya had blown her off and because she had to deal with Jun's flirting the whole way.

A few minutes later, everyone was standing in a small park to the side of the path that led to the Cameran Palace. Since most of the citizens were still at the palace, they were the only ones in the park at the time. Jun and Mitsumi were standing on one side while Hareta, Minun, and Koya were standing on the opposite side. Gold, Pikachu, Kotone, and Ninetales were standing in the middle on the side, watching the match that was about to unfold. Jun and Mitsumi chose Torterra and Milotic while Hareta and Koya called out Quilava and Growlithe, respectively.

Mitsumi spoke, "I'll start things off. Milotic, use Water Pulse!" At that, Milotic formed a light blue sphere in front of its mouth and fired it at the two Fire-type Pokémon.

Both Trainers told their Pokémon to dodge the attack, Koya calling afterwards, "Growlithe, use Crunch attack on Milotic!" At that, the Puppy Pokémon broke out into a run towards Milotic, quickly closing the gap between them.

Jun called, "I've got your back, Mitsumi! Torterra, use Razor Leaf!" The Continent Pokémon let out a growl and sent out a flurry of leaves from the tree on its back at that, firing them so that they would hit where Growlithe was going to be.

Before Koya could tell Growlithe to dodge, Hareta said to him, "I've got this, Koya!" He then turned to Quilava and called, "Quilava, get in front of Growlithe and cover it with an Ember attack!" Quilava nodded and used Agility to get ahead of Growlithe, jumping up and releasing an Ember attack at the Razor Leaf attack. The fireballs easily burnt up the leaves, a few fireballs hitting Torterra head-on, giving Growlithe the chance to strike. It sank its teeth into Milotic's side, the Tender Pokémon letting out a cry at that.

Mitsumi muttered, "That was fast… and strong!"

Koya looked at Hareta with his eyes and said, "Nice job, Hareta. But next time, we'll cover you and Quilava." Hareta nodded to him, Quilava and Growlithe doing the same to each other.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Silver had followed them out of the Cameran Palace and was observing the battle taking place, standing amongst the trees. Michael was walking by at the time and noticed what was going on, so he stood along the side of the path he was on, watching.

Jun called, "Torterra, hit 'em with Leaf Storm!" The leaves on Torterra's back began to glow green at that, a cyclone of wind and glowing light green leaves being sent towards the two Pokémon. Although it came at them fast, Quilava and Growlithe were able to jump to one side, avoiding the attack.

As soon as this occurred, Mitsumi called, "Milotic, use Hydro Pump!" Her Milotic released a powerful stream of water from its mouth at her call. Growlithe froze in place as it saw the water rushing towards it, and both Hareta and Koya knew why: after what happened long ago, Growlithe was still easily traumatized by the sight of rushing water.

Hareta called, "Quilava, help Growlithe and then use Dig!" The Volcano Pokémon pushed Growlithe out of the way of the rushing water, then leapt towards the ground and quickly dug her way underground.

Jun grinned, "Bad idea, Hareta! Torterra, give 'em Earthquake!"

Seeing what Jun was up to, Koya called, "Growlithe, use Agility, then Flame Wheel!" The Puppy Pokémon snapped back to its senses at the sound of its Trainer's voice and nodded. As Torterra began to raise itself onto its back legs, Growlithe dashed towards it using Agility. It then leapt up and somersaulting while surrounded by flames, slamming into Torterra before it could use its attack.

Jun gasped, "What? No way!"

Mitsumi spoke, "Calm down, Jun. Milotic can get Quilava before coming to help Torterra." In her mind, she was taking advantage of the rough training she had endured in her youth to determine where and when Quilava would resurface. Before long, she noticed the ground to Milotic's side begin to shift, telling her she was right in predicting where Quilava was going to be attacking from. She called, "Milotic, to your left! Use Aqua Tail!" The Tender Pokémon turned where she had indicated to see Quilava coming out of the ground! She quickly brought her tail back, surrounding it with a spiral of water before swinging it towards Quilava. The instant it made contact, though, Quilava vanished! "What? Where did it go?" she exclaimed.

Hareta called, "Quilava didn't go anywhere! You just hit the wrong one!" Suddenly, Quilava popped out of the ground right behind Milotic! "Just a little something we picked up back in Fuchsia City! A combination of Double Team and Dig!" he finished, Quilava slamming into Milotic afterwards.

Jun gasped, then muttered, "Awesome…"

Off on the sidelines, Gold grinned, "Yeah! Too bad I don't have a camera on my PokéGear. That was vintage Hareta material right there!" Ninetales, Pikachu, and Kotone nodded, agreeing with what he said about Hareta.

Mitsumi muttered, "Even though we've got the advantage, this is not going well… Perhaps it's time to start putting the pressure on." She then called for a Twister attack, Milotic spinning its tailfins like a fan to create a tornado. Seeing what she was doing, Jun called for another Leaf Storm, which went along the sides of the Twister, making it move and spin faster. It curled upwards as it reached Quilava and Growlithe, neither of them having time to get out of the way. It lifted them both off the ground, the leaves along the sides occasionally going inside the Twister and scraping along the both of them.

Koya growled, then called, "Growlithe, aim a Fire Blast towards the bottom of the Twister!" Growlithe opened its eyes and turned so it was facing downwards, opening its mouth and releasing a blast of fire from it. The heat rising from the attack burnt up the leaves from the Leaf Storm and messed with the rotation of the Twister, causing it to subside. Both Quilava and Growlithe landed on their feet a minute later.

After they landed, Jun called for an Earthquake, Torterra pulling off the attack this time and making the ground shake underneath everyone's feet. After the attack subsided, Mitsumi called for a Recover, having Milotic heal some of the damage it had received up to this point.

Both Quilava and Growlithe gave themselves a shake after they had stopped rocking, shaking off some of the aftereffects of the Earthquake. They then began to run towards Milotic and Torterra, trying to close the gap between them. Jun attempted to stop them with a Wood Hammer, Torterra attempting to slam them with the tree on its back. They both dodged, Growlithe sliding afterwards and attacking the Continent Pokémon with another Flame Wheel while Quilava went after Milotic. When she was close enough, Quilava leapt at Milotic in a Quick Attack.

Seeing this, Mitsumi called, "Milotic, use Hydro Pump!" This time, the attack made contact with its intended target, hitting Quilava right in her chest. But the water kept pushing her into the air, pushing her backwards. By the time the attack subsided, Quilava was sent flying beyond the trees around the park, hitting the ground outside of the battlefield hard!

Everyone was shocked by this, Mitsumi coming down from her 'battle high' and muttering, "Oh no… We overdid it again…"

Hareta ran near the trees that Quilava had flown over and called, "Hey! Quilava, are you okay?"

Before Hareta could find out what happened to Quilava, a hum began to fill the air, catching everyone's attention. Suddenly, several unusual looking Z.Z. Flyers came up over the trees, surrounding the group. They could clearly see who was piloting them, Kotone exclaiming, "Pokémon Pinchers?"

One of the two male Pinchers grinned, "Well, what do you know! Looks like our fame precedes us!"

Gold yelled, "What the heck are you doing here? Are you trying to make a quick buck or something?"

The female Pincher in the group replied, "Something like that. Ever since the Societea fell apart, most of us have gone back to being a mercenary group, taking on jobs if the price is right. And for the price we're being paid, this should be a pretty easy job."

Koya asked, "What's your job? Steal Pokémon? Raid the Cameran Palace?"

The other male in the trio grinned, "That's all extra money for us!" He then pointed at Hareta and continued, "No, our mission is HIM!" After saying that, something was fired from his Z.Z. Flyer, flying towards Hareta. The boy didn't have a chance to dodge, as it quickly flew over him and fired a type of field down around him, which looked similar to the beam that was emitted by the Control Gauntlets that the Pinchers used to control Pokémon.

After realizing it didn't hurt him, Hareta slammed into the side of the field, only to have it push him back. "What is this?" he exclaimed, beating his fists on the field. Minun tried to help him with a Thunder attack, but that didn't do much either.

Jun turned to the Pinchers and asked, "What are you doing?"

The female smiled, "Just keeping him, and the rest of you, restrained." Suddenly, the Pinchers fired five more devices from their Z.Z. Flyers, sending them at the other members of the group. They tried to run, but the devices were much faster and soon caught up, imprisoning each of them in a field too. Ninetales, Growlithe, and Pikachu tried to attack the devices themselves, but they too had no luck. Seeing what the Pokémon were trying to do, the Pinchers released four more, catching Minun, Pikachu, Growlithe, Ninetales, Milotic, and Torterra in a large, pyramid-shaped energy field.

The first male Pincher grinned, "We should be able to sell these for a pretty good price after we're done with the mission. Now let's get the kid and go." They began to hover closer to Hareta, ready to deactivate the device holding him so they could transport him easily.

Michael was about ready to step in and help when a blast of fire from beyond the trees in the direction Quilava had flown caught everyone's attention. Suddenly, something surrounded by flames leapt into the air and flew towards the park, the Pinchers quickly backing up in fear. The object flew through the device holding Hareta in place, destroying it before landing, the flames surrounding it letting off after it did, revealing it to be Quilava! However, something was different about her: her eyes were glowing red in anger, steam from evaporated water was rising off of her body, and flames were shooting out of the spots on her back. Her face was hardened in a look of rage.

"Whoa! That's still Hareta's Quilava, right?" Jun asked.

Koya nodded, "Yes, but it looks like that Hydro Pump from Milotic pushed it to its limit. Now its special ability, Blaze, has been activated!"

Mitsumi muttered, "This is happening because of our Hydro Pump…?"

Gold pointed at Quilava and said, "It looks like it did more than activate her ability! See how peeved she looks?"

The female Pincher turned to her two male comrades and said, "Quick, we need to catch that kid again! See if you can use his Quilava against him!" The two of them nodded and brought their Control Gauntlets forward, firing a beam at Quilava.

When they both hit, the Volcano Pokémon glared at them over her shoulder, frightening them, and dashed through their beams, skidding to a halt underneath the Z.Z. Flyers. Suddenly, the flames on her head and tail began to grow larger, being fired at the Z.Z. Flyers in a geyser of red-orange fire! The Eruption attack hit the fuel tanks of the Z.Z. Flyers, causing them to explode; this sent the Pinchers flying down onto the ground, stunning them. The wreckage from their Z.Z. Flyers landed on top of them, keeping them from escaping.

Unfortunately, the Eruption attack also hit one of the devices holding Minun, Pikachu, Growlithe, Ninetales, Milotic, and Torterra captive, their prison hovering above the ground, at about the same height as the treetops. The damage done to the device caused their prison to shake, as if threatening to release them at any minute. They began to panic at that, trying to break through the field before the ground rushed up to meet them. Hareta, being the only one who was free at the moment, called up to them, "Just hang on, guys! I'll help you!" He reached into one of the pouches on his waist and brought out the Poké Ball containing his Alakazam. Before he could send it out, a flash of light appeared in front of him, taking on the form of a Gallade. "Gallade?" Hareta wondered, then turned to look in the direction the light had come from to see Michael standing a short distance away from him.

Michael called, "Gallade, use Protect!" At his call, Gallade crossed his arms in an 'X' shape, a barrier of green light forming around him and catching the collapsing energy cage on its weak side. This helped support it, keeping it from falling to the ground just yet.

"Whoa, Michael?" Gold asked.

"How long has he been watching all this?" Jun wondered out loud.

Despite the extra cushion, the Pokémon were still struggling to break free of the energy prison that held them. "Just calm down, everyone! We'll get you out of there!" Hareta called. He then noticed that Quilava was dashing around in a rage, still shooting flames everywhere as she ran.

Michael spoke, "If Quilava keeps rampaging around like that, either the damaged device is going to be destroyed or Gallade's Protect won't be able to hold! We've got to do something, Hareta!"

Hareta turned to him and said, "No, I'll do something! She's my Pokémon, so I've got to help her!" He then saw Quilava making a dash towards the cage, so he jumped in her path and braced himself. Quilava was so blinded by her rage that all she saw in her path was a black, blurry figure; she couldn't tell whether it was friend or foe, so she kept running, intending to make it move if she had to. She leapt and slammed into Hareta in a Double-Edge attack, sending him skidding backwards across the ground.

He slid to a stop seconds later, down on his knees and his arms wrapped around the middle of Quilava's back. Everyone except Gallade looked on in silence, watching the boy struggle to help Quilava amidst the flames she was giving off. He groaned, "Quilava, please! This isn't like you! We promised to travel together as friends, to get stronger together!" Quilava struggled against his grip, trying to break free. She heard what Hareta said, but her anger was keeping the words from actually registering. Still thinking he was an enemy, she opened her mouth and brought her teeth down on his shoulder, gripping on tightly and drawing blood.

Mitsumi yelled, "Hareta, you've got to call Quilava back! This is dangerous!"

Hareta ignored her, still trying to connect with Quilava. Fighting off the burning in his shoulder, he spoke, "Quilava… don't lose yourself to your own ability! You've got to overcome it, to get stronger the way we said we would! Come back to me and we'll get stronger together!" In her head, Hareta's words finally connected with Quilava, causing her to take her mouth off of him and give a loud yell. In the distance, Silver looked on in shock at this display.

Meanwhile, Gallade groaned as he began to feel his Protect begin to fail, a crack beginning to form near the top of the barrier. The crack quickly began to spread, and soon the whole barrier shattered! The energy cage held up for a moment before it began to fall towards Gallade, who had fallen onto his back, looking up as it began to get closer. "Gallade!" Michael screamed, grabbing his Poké Ball in an attempt to save him.

Before he could bring it forward, Quilava suddenly broke free of Hareta's grip and launched into a Flame Wheel towards the cage, fire swirling around her as she flew. She landed a short distance behind Gallade, then leapt up and slammed into the cage, holding it up. As Gallade stood up, a glow erupted from the within the Flame Wheel, Quilava's body beginning to change shape! Hareta gasped at this, "Quilava…?"

Michael asked, "Is it evolving?"

Gallade reached up with his hands to catch the side of the cage, the flames around Quilava beginning to dissipate as she came down with it. As Gallade caught the cage, the flames around Quilava vanished entirely, revealing a new Pokémon that was holding up the cage on the opposite side. "Typhlosion!" Hareta exclaimed. Off on the side, Silver growled to himself; was this really the same Pokémon that he had deemed weak so long ago?

"Wow, Quilava evolved to save the Pokémon!" Gold exclaimed.

"Amazing!" Kotone said, awed.

"Whoa, that was cool!" Jun exclaimed.

With her newfound strength, Typhlosion was able to help Gallade hold up the cage. The two of them grinned at each other, both of their Trainers knowing what that meant. Michael turned to Hareta and said, "Come on, let's help the Pokémon first!" Hareta nodded, then called to the Pokémon in the cage to brace themselves. He then called for Typhlosion to use Flamethrower while Michael called for Gallade to use Signal Beam.

The two attacks hit the damaged device at the bottom of the cage, both of them exploding and causing the bottom to vanish. Torterra landed on the ground first, Milotic curled around its tree while Ninetales was hanging onto its shell, Pikachu, Minun, and Growlithe holding tightly onto her to avoid being accidentally crushed by Torterra. Other than being shaken up by the landing, everyone was fine. "They did it! Typhlosion, Gallade, way to go!" Hareta called. The Pokémon were grateful to the two, thanking them for helping them.

Michael turned to Hareta and said, "It looks like that Blaze managed to become something more than just raw power." At Hareta's questioning look, he added, "Blaze wasn't just controlled…" He looked at Typhlosion and finished, "Thanks to you, it became something much more." Hareta looked back at Typhlosion, seeing a look of understanding in her eyes.

With Typlosion's help, everyone was soon freed from the energy fields holding them in place and reunited with their Pokémon. While Koya arrested the group of Pokémon Pinchers and everyone else was talking about Typhlosion, Silver turned and began making his way away from Rota, muttering, "I will not give up on trying to beat Gold. I'll keep training my own Pokémon… and my heart, too. Next time, I'll be ready for him!"

**Later that evening, in the Cameran Palace ballroom**

Hareta, Kotone, Mitsumi, Jun, Koya, Michael, and the rest of the guests in the Cameran Palace watched as Queen Ilene presented Gold with the staff of Sir Aaron. Jun and Kotone had changed out of the outfits they had been wearing earlier, Jun now wearing an orange cloak over a red tunic and black tights with black boots while Kotone was wearing a blue baroque dress. After the presentation was done, a ball was held for everyone.

As the couples began to glide across the floor, Jun approached Mitsumi and bowed before her, asking, "Mitsumi, may I have your hand for this dance?"

Mitsumi gave him a brief glare before relenting and saying, "Okay, I suppose I'll give you a break tonight. But don't forget, this doesn't mean anything!"

Jun smiled as he stood up, "Of course, of course. But you never know; it might someday." He then took her hand and led her out onto the floor, the two of them joining in with the other dancers.

Gold smiled as he watched them from the front of the ballroom, sitting in the chair near the throne while holding the staff. He then looked to his left, looking up at the tapestry that depicted Sir Aaron and his Lucario friend. He examined the features of the man before wondering, "Hmm, I wonder if he's related to Hareta at all? Or maybe he's related to that Riley guy?"

He sat up when he heard a woman next to him say, "Pay attention!" He turned to his right to see Jenny, the queen's servant, looking at him. She spoke, "Unless you are asked to a dance, you must remain seated and focused at all times!" Gold nodded, then faced the ballroom and sighed as he looked down; even though he wasn't much of a dancer, he would've preferred that to sitting down all night.

Fortunately for him, Kotone overheard what Jenny had said and approached her, asking, "Pardon my intrusion, ma'am, but I would like to make a request, if I may?" When Jenny nodded, Kotone said, "I would like to ask for a dance with the Guardian of the Year."

Jenny turned to Gold and said, "This fair maiden has asked for a dance with you. Do you accept?" Gold eagerly nodded and stood up, setting the staff down against the side of his chair.

While following Kotone down to the dance floor, Gold whispered, "Whew, thanks Kotone! If it wasn't for you, I'd probably be bored out of my skull all night!"

Kotone grinned as she whispered back, "Ah ah ah! Just because I helped you doesn't mean I'm going to cover for you! I asked for a dance, so you have to dance with me. Unless you'd rather go back up to the chair?"

Gold gulped and his turned a little red at that before replying, "Oh, all right. You want to dance? Let's dance!"

Kotone smiled, "Smart boy. I'm leading, just so you know." Gold nodded, then hesitantly took her hands, blushing as they made eye contact. She began to lead him in the dance, Gold beginning to relax as he began to get a hang of the whole dancing thing.

Hareta, Koya, and Michael were hanging out near the buffet table, watching the dancing. Hareta occasionally glanced around, looking for Typhlosion, who had wandered off a little while ago with some of the other Pokémon. He asked Michael, "Where do you think the Pokémon went?"

Michael replied, "Probably someplace where they can have fun without annoying anyone. There are probably a few rooms in this castle they can go to do that." He then turned to Koya and said, "Never would've guessed you were an International Police officer. Guess the whole undercover thing helps with that."

Koya nodded, "Indeed. Those Pinchers probably would've been less likely to come attacking if they had known. They may act high and mighty on the outside, but underneath that, they're big cowards. They shouldn't have pushed their luck; now all three of them are in prison." He then brought a hand to his chin as he asked, "But I wonder what they wanted with Hareta in the first place? I thought they usually took Pokémon for money, not humans…"

Michael shrugged, "Well, if they were working for money, I'm sure they weren't going to ask questions if the pay really was as good as they made it seem like it was." Both Hareta and Koya nodded at that and then turned back to observe the dancing.

Suddenly, someone touched Hareta's right shoulder and he turned to look. He smiled once he saw it was Typhlosion and said, "Hi, Typhlosion. Is… something up?" The last sentence he said a little hesitantly, as he noticed the look on Typhlosion's face. She looked like she was very nervous about something, as her muzzle was red and she was twiddling her fingers nervously.

"(Um… Well, I… just wanted to…)" she muttered, trying to find some confidence as the blush on her muzzle grew.

Hareta cocked his head at this, not really sure what she was nervous about. "Typhlosion? Is something wrong?" After a moment, she placed a hand on Hareta's shoulder and gestured towards the dance floor with her head. Hareta followed her gesture, taking a moment to figure out what she was trying to say. "You… want to dance with me?" he guessed. Typhlosion nodded at that, Hareta smiling afterwards, "Sure! This isn't what I usually dance to, but I can probably figure it out. Besides, it's the least I can do for you." He then walked with her out onto the dance floor, noticing, out of the corner of his eye, that both Michael and Koya were giving him encouraging smiles. What he didn't notice was Sneasel, Misdreavus, and Ninetales sticking their heads out of one of the rooms, jealously glaring at the sight of the two of them together.

As the dancing continued, Jun noticed Hareta and Typhlosion dancing close together and whispered to Mitsumi, "Hey, check out Hareta."

Mitsumi looked where his face was pointed and smiled, "Aw, how cute." She didn't find anything odd about what Hareta was doing, and neither did any of the other guests that saw him. To them, it was a nice display of friendship between the two, a way of enjoying something together.

Typhlosion held onto Hareta tightly as they went around the dance floor, not wanting to let go of the one who took her in when she needed someone the most. Hareta kept looking up at her, making her blush and look away. Hareta noticed this and asked, "Do you feel okay, Typhlosion? You're not feeling stressed out after your evolution, are you?"

Typhlosion replied, "(No, I feel fine.)" She then closed her eyes as she thought, "(_I feel so at peace now. This is exactly what I wanted tonight: a moment alone with Hareta…_)"

After some time, the first dance ended, all of the couples coming to a stop as the music slowed. As he and Typhlosion stood on the dance floor, Hareta made a motion for her to bend down. Curious, she did so, lowering herself so she made eye contact with him when he faced forward. He then surprised her when he took her head between his hands and gave her a kiss on the forehead. It didn't last long, but it conveyed a message to her. "(_On the forehead? Does that mean…?_)" she wondered to herself.

Hareta noticed that her eyes seemed to be asking him what she was wondering, so he nodded, "Yes. I hope we're together forever." Typhlosion smiled at that, relieved to know that she and Hareta were that close to each other and gave him a quick hug. He then led her off the floor as the second dance began, going back near the buffet table, Koya and Michael having moved to a different side of the room by that time.

Hareta sat down in a chair, watching Kotone hang onto Gold for another dance while Jun managed to convince Mitsumi to dance with him again. Typhlosion sat on the ground next to him, snuggling up against him.

Suddenly, they both heard Sneasel say, "(Hareta, can I dance with you too?)" Hareta and Typhlosion turned to look at her, only to be shocked by what they saw. The young Sneasel girl had taken on the form an anthro Sneasel, standing about Hareta's height, though her paws still looked the same. She was wearing a green kimono that had various flowers printed on it and a red and yellow band around the middle. She looked absolutely gorgeous in it.

Hareta stuttered, "S-Sneasel? H-how did you…?"

Ninetales spoke up, "That would be my doing." Hareta looked behind Sneasel to see that Ninetales had taken on her anthro form as well, though she was wearing a red and white shrine maiden outfit. She explained, "I showed her this form while we were in Fuchsia City and she wanted to know how to take on such an appearance herself. Don't worry, it is not a permanent thing. She can resume her normal appearance anytime she wants to."

Hareta said, "Uh, okay. But… why did you two decide to take on that… appearance?"

Ninetales giggled, "Didn't you hear Sneasel? She wants to dance with you, and so do I. Since she's still the new girl, though, I think it's only fair if she goes first."

Hareta replied, "Uh, I guess that's okay. But I don't know how long this ball thing is. Is there going to be enough time to dance with both of you?"

Misdreavus suddenly flew up to him and said, "(I sure hope so! Because I want to go around the dance floor with you too!)"

Hareta was a bit shocked by all this new information he was receiving, but he managed to calm down enough to say, "Okay, okay, you girls win. If you really want to dance with me that bad, then I'll dance with you." Typhlosion stood up as he got out of his seat; he turned to her afterwards and asked, "Is it all right with you if I dance with them, Typhlosion?"

The Volcano Pokémon smiled, "(Of course. It's no trouble. It's better than sitting in a chair all night, after all.)" She then watched Hareta walk with Sneasel out onto the floor before walking towards the buffet table and smiling to herself "(_You might have gotten him to agree to dance with you, but you girls have a lot of catching up to do now. After all, which one of us made the first move towards him? That's right, I did!_)" She then noticed movement behind a nearby column and thought, "(_Mew… I thank you for your advice._)"

Sometime later that evening, the ball was coming to a close, so Gold was ushered back up to the front of the ballroom to give the signal for the fireworks. All of Gold's friends stood near each other as the fireworks began, Hareta standing with all of his dance partners next to him, Sneasel and Ninetales having returned to their normal forms. Unbeknownst to anyone, someone had a clear view of Hareta from one of the rooms connected to the ballroom, examining the boy with a pair of binoculars. He looked away a moment later and spoke into a communicator, "Boss? Yeah, I've got a visual on the kid. It looks like the squad was arrested while trying to capture him. What should we do? …I see. Okay, I'll regroup with the squad camped up on Mt. Moon." He then shut off his communicator and escaped through the window in the room.

**The following morning…**

Hareta and his friends, including Typhlosion, Meganium, and Croconaw, met up with Koya and his Growlithe in front of the Rin Hotel, everyone back in their regular outfits. "So what are you going to do now, Koya?" Hareta asked.

Koya replied, "I'm going to head back to the Cerulean Cave and see if there has been any progress made in the investigations there. After that… well, I guess that'll depend on what I find out. Be careful when you're going through Mt. Moon; people might visit it at times, but it can still be dangerous. Good luck!" With that, he and Growlithe turned and began making their way in the direction of the cable car station, everyone waving to them.

The group began to make their way to the southwest after Koya left their sight, heading for the downhill path that led to Mt. Moon. As they were about to take that path out of Rota, they heard Michael call, "Hey, hold on, you guys!" They turned to see the red haired Trainer and his Glaceon running to catch up with them. He still had his blue headband on, but he also had some type of device attached to the left side of it. He was wearing a yellow vest over a black long-sleeve shirt that had red lines going down the sides of the sleeves, a pair of goggles around his neck, blue jeans that had red lines going down along the sides, black shoes, and a gray and red hip bag hanging around his waist. They waited for him, the boy stopping near them and saying, "Hey. I'm glad I caught up with you guys before you left."

Gold asked, "What's up, Michael?"

The boy replied, "Well, I was wondering if I could travel with you guys."

Mitsumi asked, "You want to travel with us? Even though you just met us yesterday?"

Michael nodded, "Yeah, that's right. I'm not from Rota after all, and I'm not on a journey at the moment. Plus, you guys seemed to warm up to us pretty quick, and…" He stopped himself, placing a hand behind his head as he said, "Well, it's really up to you guys, after all."

Hareta smiled, "Sure, you can come, Michael! It'll be fun! We don't mind, right guys?" Gold, Kotone, and the Pokémon were quick to agree, Jun and Mitsumi agreeing afterwards.

Michael said, "Thanks. You guys won't regret this." He then asked, "So where were you guys headed, anyway?"

Gold explained, "We're heading to Mt. Moon. Hareta and I want to get all of the Kanto badges, and Pewter City is our next stop!"

Michael nodded, "Cool. Then let's get going!" With that, the group resumed walking, Ninetales, Meganium, Typhlosion, and Croconaw getting better acquainted with Glaceon as they made their way towards the mountain.

* * *

I admit that I was inspired by the episode "Fighting Ire with Fire" for this one. It's one of my favorite episodes from the DP series, okay? The whole thing with the Pokémon Pinchers' device creating a pyramid-shaped prison was inspired by Pokémon Special, as Lt. Surge's Magneton can do something similar in the manga.

And yes, the Michael here is the same Michael from "Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness." The Glaceon he has is the same Eevee given to him by his father. I realize that Glaceon didn't exist at the time of "Gale of Darkness," but the game does take place five years after "Pokémon Colosseum." If Gen. IV had happened by that time, I'm sure there would've been a way to have Eevee become a Glaceon or Leafeon.

Uh... anything I'm missing that isn't clear? This is definitely my longest chapter so far, so I wouldn't be surprised if I did miss something. Be sure to let me know.

Music:

To the Cable Car! - Route 206 (Pokémon DPPt)

Flashback - Dire Dire Docks (Super Mario 64)

A Step Back in Time - Soleanna Castle Town (Sonic the Hedgehog (2006))

Hero of the Year Festival - Market (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

Tournament - Cipher Admin Battle (Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness)

Catching Up on Old Times - Hyrule Castle Town (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)

Hareta & Koya vs. Jun & Mitsumi - Normal Battle (Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness)

Pokémon Pinchers? - Encounter Pinchers (Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs)

Quilava's Rage - Monster House (PMD: EoT/EoD/EoS)

Reasoning with the Flames - Kingdom Valley (Lakeside) (Sonic the Hedgehog (2006))

Blast Evolution! - Ready Go! (Pokémon anime)

The Ball - Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 5

Hitting the Road Again - Splash Hill Zone Act 1 (Pokémon BW remix) (Truearagon)


	60. Growing Out of Old Habits

Hey guys. I want to apologize for how late this chapter is. I would've had this up on Saturday, but I kept getting some kind of error that wouldn't let me edit my stories. I just hope everyone understands that I'm not ditching this story or any others. Some things just take time, I guess. Anyway, onto the chapter.

* * *

A few hours passed after Hareta and his friends left Rota, heading for Mt. Moon with their new traveling companion, Michael. Although his Glaceon walked with Ninetales, Meganium, Typhlosion, and Croconaw most of the time, it occasionally hopped up onto his shoulder to ride, just like Hareta's Minun and Gold's Pikachu and Pichu. Kotone noticed this and noted, "Your Glaceon seems to be really close to you, Michael. Have you had it a long time?"

Michael nodded as he rubbed Glaceon under its chin, "I sure have. Glaceon was my first Pokémon back when it was still an Eevee. He was a gift from my dad. Well, his last gift to me, anyway…" Everyone noticed that he looked a little sad as he said that last sentence.

Mitsumi spoke, trying to steer the conversation towards something more positive, "Most Trainers usually get a Grass, Fire, or Water-type Pokémon as their first. Where do you come from? I don't have anything against Eevee, seeing as I've raised three of my own, but were you unable to get a starter like that?"

Michael looked grateful for the change in subject and said, "No, it's nothing like that. The Orre region is a little different in some ways."

Gold asked, "The Orre region? I've never heard of it."

Michael smiled, "I'm not surprised. Even though it's just northwest of the Johto region, most Trainers tend to overlook it in favor of the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh regions."

Hareta asked, "Why is that?"

Michael answered, "The Orre region is mostly a desert region. You won't find many wild Pokémon there, and there isn't exactly a Pokémon League. But it's definitely a place for someone who's serious about training Pokémon to go, what with all the colosseums there."

Jun asked, "Colosseums? Don't you mean stadiums?"

Michael replied, "Sure, if you want to think of them like that. But along with a few cities and towns, along with some other areas of interest, there are colosseums dotted all around the region. If you want to come out on top of those challenges, you'd better be a good Trainer or you won't last long!"

Hareta said, "Man, I can believe that, what with being in a desert and all! So what about Pokémon? You said they aren't very common there?"

Michael nodded, "Right. It's only recently that wild Pokémon have begun to appear more frequently, which means less people have to have them shipped into the region."

Jun asked, "Hasn't anyone tried to do something about that? You know, like trying to make the desert a little less… harsh?"

Michael answered, "Actually, the Pokémon are appearing more frequently because someone is finding spots that aren't as harsh for them to come to. Besides, it's not all bad; the Orre region is very technologically advanced. The only bad part is that that led to a big incident five years ago, which ended up coming back when I was just starting out."

Jun asked, "Really? Were you involved in it? Can you tell us what it was all about?"

Kotone piped up, "He can tell us about it later. I think we've asked him enough questions already. Although I am curious about some of these technological advances you've mentioned. Do you have anything you can show us, Mick? …Can I call you that as a nickname?"

Mitsumi spoke up, "I'm sorry about that, Michael. She has this really annoying habit of coming up with weird nicknames for some people. Please don't take offense to it."

Kotone glared at Mitsumi angrily at her comment, but Michael smiled, "No, it's no problem at all. Just so long as you don't call me 'Mikey.' That's what I hate being called. But 'Mick…' That's a new one! I like it!"

Kotone smiled smugly at Mitsumi, "Ha ha! You hear that, Mitzi? I'm clever enough to come up with a nickname that he likes! How do you like that?" Mitsumi just glared back at her.

Michael spoke, "As for your question, Kotone…" He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a small device that was mostly gray in color and looked similar to the Pokédex that Hareta, Jun, and Mitsumi had. He said, "This is my PDA, or Personal Digital Assistant. I can receive emails on it and it has a Strategy Memo that collects data on the Pokémon that I meet, kind of like a Pokédex."

Hareta said, "Cool! But… what's an email?"

Michael replied as he put his PDA back in his pocket, "It's like an electronic letter you send over a computer, kind of like a silent phone call." Hareta nodded, understanding somewhat.

Mitsumi looked at her Pokétch and noticed that it was starting to get late in the afternoon, as it was already about 3:30. She spoke, "Hey guys, it's starting to get late. We'd better find someplace to stop and camp for the night."

Gold said, "We're not too far from Mt. Moon now. Let's see if we can find a nice spot near the base to set up camp." Everyone nodded and continued walking.

The group soon decided on a spot near the side of Mt. Moon, not far from a slope that led up the side of the mountain. Mitsumi decided on some sandwiches for dinner tonight, so everyone let their Pokémon out so they could get settled too. In addition to his Glaceon and Gallade, Michael had a Flygon, a Mightyena, and an Ampharos with him. Mitsumi counted his Pokémon and, upon realizing how many he had, asked, "Michael, are you traveling with only five Pokémon right now?"

The red haired boy replied, "No, I've got six Pokémon on me now, plus a lot of others that I can get by logging onto a Pokémon Center PC."

Hareta asked, "So how come your sixth Pokémon is staying in its Poké Ball?" Michael answered him by holding up the Poké Ball and Hareta saw that it was a Master Ball. "Oh! So then…"

Michael nodded, "You got it. It's not that I don't trust you guys, but this isn't a Pokémon you can find just anywhere. So I keep it in its Poké Ball, where it won't attract unwanted attention to itself." Hareta and the others nodded at what he was saying, Michael thanking them for understanding his reasons as he slid the Master Ball back into his pocket.

A little later, the food was ready and everyone began eating. Well, everyone except Grovyle, who was sitting away from the group with his back against a rock, ignoring the food that he had been given. Some of the other Pokémon were trying to talk to him, but he simply ignored them. Michael noticed this and asked, "Hareta, what's up with your Grovyle? Is that normal for him?"

Hareta replied, "No, he's not usually like this. And he's been like this since yesterday…"

Kotone spoke, "Maybe he's upset about being beaten in the tournament? He's definitely got a competitive side to him, and maybe he's not feeling so great about having the match between you and Michael end in a draw."

Hareta thought about this, then stood up and walked up behind the rock Grovyle was leaning against, watching Minun, Cubone, Pikachu, Espeon, and Flygon trying to talk to him. Standing behind the rock, he spoke, "Hey, Grovyle?" The wood gecko turned his head enough to look back at the boy, who continued, "You don't need to be this hard on yourself. Just relax and eat something; I'm sure you'll feel better." Grovyle gave a growl at this and suddenly stood up, running towards the Pokémon in front of him. They jumped out of the way, Grovyle running past them and up the nearby mountain slope. Hareta gasped at this and ran after him, calling, "Wait, Grovyle! Where are you going?"

Mitsumi called after him, "Hey, Hareta! Hold on a minute!" But it came too late, as Hareta had already started running up the slope after Grovyle. She groaned, "Ugh, that idiot! He didn't take his supplies or even any of his Pokémon with him!"

Gold said, "Actually, that was probably a smart thing to do."

Michael nodded, "I agree. Grovyle might be struggling with himself as a result of our battle and he needs someone to help him find himself. Hareta is definitely concerned with Grovyle's well-being; spending some time together might help Grovyle find what he's looking for."

Hareta, meanwhile, was running up the mountain pathway, looking for Grovyle among the rocks and trees along the sides. As he ran past a boulder, a figure clad in a green outfit stepped out from behind and observed the boy as he followed the path for a moment before speaking into a communicator, "Boss, I've got a visual on the target. He's heading up the mountain path that I'm on and he's alone. None of his companions are with him, and it looks like he doesn't has any Pokémon on him either. …Yes, it should be a good place to corner him. Don't worry, I'll set everything up."

Hareta continued up the mountain path, running through a woodland area. As he ran, he noticed that there were branches lying on the ground that had been sliced clean off the trees and some trees that had slash marks on them. He began to slow down at this, getting the feeling that he would be seeing Grovyle soon.

He soon found that he was right when he came across the Wood Gecko Pokémon, who was on his claws and knees next to a tree, panting a bit. All around him were broken tree branches and slashed trees, no doubt caused by his claws and Leaf Blade attack. There was also a small pink Pokémon standing near him that had a curl on its head and brown ears. It turned in his direction upon hearing his footsteps and immediately looked worried at the sight of him. Before it could run away, though, Grovyle noticed what had caught the Pokémon's attention and said, "(It's okay, Cleffa. I know him; he won't try to do anything bad to you.)" The Star Shape Pokémon looked a little calmer at his words, but it still looked nervous. Grovyle pushed himself up into a sitting position and asked, "(What do you want, boss?)"

The boy replied, "Grovyle, I understand you're upset about how things turned out yesterday. I know how you like to win, but it's nothing worth getting angry over. I mean, Michael needed to use a Master Ball to catch one of his Pokémon; that means he's not an ordinary Trainer. Maybe we weren't at our best yesterday, but that doesn't matter. You still like battling and want to keep doing it, right?" Grovyle looked down at the ground at that, as if thinking. Hareta smiled, "Come on, let's go back to the campsite. It might take some time, but I know everything's going to turn out fine."

Grovyle continued looking down at the ground, gritting his teeth as his thoughts swirled around in his head. Suddenly, he detected something that brought him back to reality. "(What was that sound?)" he asked.

Hareta glanced around saying, "I heard it too. Where did it come from?" The three of them listened carefully, hearing rustling coming from the bushes along the path leading back to the campsite. Suddenly, a group of Pokémon leapt out of the bushes, composed of Sandslash, Sandshrew, Paras, and Geodude. They all had an 'out-of-it' look in their eyes, reminding Hareta of the Pokémon Charon had under his control when they invaded Neo Team Galactic's HQ. When the Pokémon suddenly leapt towards them, Grovyle jumped forward and used Bullet Seed to knock them down in midair.

Unfortunately, the attack didn't do much to any of the Pokémon, even the ones that had a weakness to Grass-type attacks. They stood up after landing as though the attack had done nothing to them. Hareta spoke, "I don't think they're going to give up easily or let us pass. What do you say we try to find another way around them?" Grovyle nodded and so did Cleffa, who chose to take a chance and hop into Hareta's arms as he and Grovyle started running into the small patch of forest around them.

The Pokémon immediately took off after them, pursuing them along the forest path. Hareta kept Cleffa close while he and Grovyle kept running, but the path eventually emptied out to a small area above a river, the three of them looking down at the river from the side they were on. "Darn! Dead-end…" Hareta muttered. The three of them glanced back to see the Pokémon blocking off the way they came, standing ready to attack in case they tried anything.

Grovyle growled to himself, "(Fine. If that's how it's going to be…)" He leapt forward towards the group, startling Hareta and Cleffa, firing an Energy Ball at them. It slammed into the ground in front of them, raising some of the dirt off the ground. Grovyle then leapt through the dirt, hitting a Geodude with a Leaf Blade attack. Unfortunately, the other Pokémon were ready for him, as one of the Sandshrew slammed into him with a Gyro Ball. While he was stunned from that hit, a Para leapt up at him and slashed him with an X-Scissor, followed by a Sandslash knocking him back towards Hareta and Cleffa with a Poison Sting.

Grovyle landed on his back at Hareta's feet, groaning a bit as he felt some of the side effects from the Poison Sting. Hareta bent down and set Cleffa down before helping Grovyle sit up, Cleffa immediately going to his side while Hareta tried to get him to open his eyes. A familiar humming sound suddenly began to fill the air, Grovyle opening his eyes and looking as both Hareta and Cleffa did the same. Soon, a group of Pokémon Pinchers appeared on Z.Z. Flyers, about five of them in the group. "Oh no, not these guys again!" Hareta groaned.

One of the male Pinchers, apparently the leader of the group, spoke, "Heh, tough luck, kid. You should've just given yourself up to our buddies back in Rota when you had the chance. Then we wouldn't have had to do this."

Hareta asked, "What, did you break them out so they can have another shot? And what do you want from me, anyway?"

As they landed, one of the other males in the group spoke, "No, you little idiot! We Pinchers might work together, but our personal interests come first! As for what we want with you, our client wants us to capture you and bring you to him! Doesn't make sense to me, but since he's promising a big payout, I don't care!"

One of the two females walked over to him and slapped him across his face, saying, "Shut up, you idiot! This kid is our objective; we don't have to tell him anything!" Hareta raised an eyebrow at what he had heard, wondering, "_Someone hired them? Could it be the same guy who 'hired' Domino?_" While the Pinchers were arguing, Hareta glanced down at Grovyle and realized that the effect from the earlier Poison Sting was beginning to get worse. "_This is bad… I've gotta at least get Grovyle back in his Poké Ball until I can heal him,_" he thought, reaching into his jacket pocket for Grovyle's Poké Ball, the only one he had on him at the moment.

The other female in the group noticed Hareta pull out the Poké Ball and shouted, "Hey! Don't you move another muscle! Unless you want to make things worse for yourself, you'd better stop whatever it is you're planning to do!"

The Pincher who had babbled earlier spoke, "Yeah, you heard her! You don't mess with us! You do and this is what you get!" He turned to the group of Pokémon, who had just been sitting there all this time, and commanded the Geodude to use Earthquake. The Rock Pokémon complied, slamming into the ground and causing it to shake in the immediate area, everyone shuffling around to keep their footing.

Unexpectedly, a crack began to form in the ground, heading towards Hareta, Grovyle, and Cleffa. It spread out as it reached them, causing several parts of the ledge they were standing next to break off and fall towards the river. Unfortunately, it also caught them, sending them falling towards the river as well! Hareta lost his grip on Grovyle's Poké Ball as they started falling, the ball landing on solid ground near the ledge. Hareta managed to grab both Grovyle and Cleffa before they hit the water, lessening the impact on them as they all landed in the river and went under the water, being pushed downstream by the flow of the river.

The second male Pincher muttered, "Oh… Maybe I shouldn't have done that?"

The third male Pincher, the one that had been spying on Hareta earlier, punched him in the face as he yelled, "No duh, you freaking idiot! We were supposed to capture him alive, not help him sleep with the fishes! You'd better hope he survived that, because if he didn't, you're going to be joining him!"

The leader spoke, "Enough, you two! We've got enough on our hands without the two of you fighting all the time!" He then spoke to the entire group, "Back to the Z.Z. Flyers! We'll go to the end of the river and start searching for him! And we're not stopping until we find him, got it?" Everyone nodded and ran back to their flying platforms, taking off and releasing the Pokémon from their control before flying off in the direction that the river had carried Hareta in.

Back at the base of the mountain, meanwhile, everyone was beginning to get worried about Hareta's long absence. "It shouldn't be taking Hareta this long to find and talk to Grovyle," Kotone commented.

"What's that kid doing up there?" Jun asked, more to himself than anyone else.

"Hey there!" an unfamiliar voice called to the group, everyone turning around to see who it was. They saw a young man with spiky brown hair approaching them. He was wearing a V-necked orange long-sleeve shirt over a black shirt, dark green pants, light brown shoes, and a large blue backpack. Notably, his eyes appeared to be closed in slits, kind of like a Cyndaquil's. Once he reached the group, he spoke, "Sorry if I startled anybody. I was coming out of Mt. Moon and happened to notice all of you standing around here."

Gold said, "Nah, don't worry about it. The name's Gold."

After everyone else introduced themselves, the man said, "And my name is Brock. Nice to meet all of you." He then asked, "Did something happen? It seemed like you were all looking at something."

Michael replied, "Uh, maybe."

Mitsumi glanced in the direction of the path leading up the mountain as she said, "There's someone else you haven't met yet, but he's not here right now. He went up the mountain after one of his Pokémon without any of his gear or other Pokémon and he hasn't come back yet."

The expression on Brock's face changed slightly as he said, "What? That's not good!" When Jun asked why, he explained, "In the past few days, people have reported that there are people up there. No one knows what they're doing, but anyone who tries to go up the mountain gets chased back down by them. It's like they claimed Mt. Moon as their own turf or something!"

Kotone gasped, "Oh! But then…!"

Gold asked, "Could Hareta and Grovyle have run into them?"

Brock replied, "I don't know, but we're not going to stand here and wait to find out! Get your things and come on!" He started making his way towards the path while everyone grabbed their bags, Gold grabbing Hareta's backpack and Poké Balls, before following after Brock.

**Meanwhile, about halfway down the river**

Hareta, Grovyle, and Cleffa were walking through the forest leading away from the bank of the river they had washed up at. After managing to get everyone back above the surface of the water, Hareta managed to grab a hold of a low part of the riverbank when the flow of the water began to slow down. Grovyle and Cleffa held onto him while he pulled himself up over the side of the riverbank and flopping down onto the dirt ground.

Afterwards, Hareta used his Aura to remove the lingering effects of the Poison Sting from Grovyle and heal a few of his wounds. Unfortunately, the impact with the water made him unable to heal them both completely, as he had to wait for his Aura to recover completely. With no other options, they decided they needed to get moving since the Pinchers would probably be looking for them. Because Grovyle was still feeling a bit weak, Hareta stayed by his side and kept an arm around him, helping him walk while Cleffa walked on his other side.

"Just hang in there, Grovyle. I heard there's a Pokémon Center on Route 3 at the base of the mountain. We've gotta get you some help!" Hareta said as they walked. After a few seconds, Grovyle groaned and began to slump to his knees, still weak from the Poison Sting. Cleffa immediately looked worried for him, so Hareta said, "I think we'd better find a safe place to stop and rest. It'll probably do us all some good."

Grovyle groaned as he tried to push himself back up, "(No… Those Pinchers are still out there. We can't stop without taking the chance that they'll find us.)"

Hareta replied, "That may be, Grovyle, but you're exhausted from trying to protect me and Cleffa. You need to recover in case we run into any more trouble. And we'll make sure to hide ourselves well. So is it okay now?" Grovyle looked back at him for a moment before relenting.

**Meanwhile…**

Brock and Hareta's friends were searching the woodland area for signs of Hareta. "Are you sure this is the way your friend went?" Brock asked.

Michael examined one of the branches on the ground before replying, "It seems likely. All these branches have clean cuts, like they were cut with a blade. Probably a Leaf Blade. Hareta would've noticed this too." They continued onward, Ninetales sniffing the ground to pick up on his scent.

When they came to the tree Hareta had found Grovyle near, Ninetales began to sniff around carefully while everyone else looked around. While they were looking, Kotone noticed something. "Look at all of those Pokémon over there!" she pointed. Everyone looked to see the Pokémon that the Pinchers had used to corner Hareta, Grovyle, and Cleffa.

"They look kind of spaced out to me. Did something happen to them?"Jun wondered.

Gold glanced over at Ninetales as she suddenly stiffened and pointed in the direction of the Pokémon. He came over and asked, "What is it? Did you pick up on Hareta's scent?" Ninetales nodded, leading everyone in the direction of the river.

As they came within sight of the edge of the river, they noticed a Clefairy and Clefable looking worriedly down at the water. When they heard the humans approaching, they quickly took off, disappearing into the nearby shrubbery. "Strange. What were those two doing there?" Brock wondered.

Mitsumi pointed at something as she said, "Never mind them. Look! There's a Poké Ball over there!" Everyone saw it in the remaining light and ran over to it.

Brock picked it up and examined it for a moment before saying, "It's registered for a Grovyle. It must be Hareta's."

Gold asked, "So then where did Hareta go?"

Kotone glanced over at the edge of the river and said, "It looks like part of the edge broke off. Maybe they were caught under it and fell in?"

Brock said, "Quick! We'll follow the river downstream and see if they managed to get out!" Everyone nodded and began making their way through the nearby greenery, in the same direction that the Clefairy and Clefable had gone. Along the way, Brock began to talk with the group about Hareta and his Grovyle.

**Later that night…**

Hareta walked inside of a small cave, where Grovyle and Cleffa were sitting around a small fire, carrying various types of berries in his arms, including some Pecha Berries for Grovyle. The glow from the fire lit up the cave, but it was hard to see from the outside unless someone was looking really hard. After they all ate, Hareta said, "That was good. Did both of you eat enough?" Both Grovyle and Cleffa nodded, the latter doing so more eagerly. Hareta nodded, "All right, then. We should probably try to get some sleep."

Grovyle laid down on his side while Hareta took off his jacket and gave it to Cleffa to curl up with for warmth. Hareta sighed, "Sorry, Grovyle. I'm sure it would be comfier inside your Poké Ball; it's my fault for dropping it." He put the fire out a few minutes later, lying down on his side and closing his eyes, both Pokémon already fast asleep by the look of things.

Sometime later that night, Grovyle's eyelids flickered open, some outside stimulus managing to pry him out of his sleep. Raising his head slightly, he looked around the cave; from what he was able to see, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. He glanced over the remains of the fire at Hareta, who seemed to be moving slightly in his sleep. He could hear the boy muttering in his sleep, "You're going to be fine. I know you will. You've gotta hang in there!" Grovyle looked over at him a moment longer before giving a chuckle and drifting off back to sleep.

**The following morning…**

After having breakfast, Hareta, Grovyle, and Cleffa left the cave, deciding to head up to the top of Mt. Moon to determine where they were. Since they didn't know how far the river had carried them or where the cave they had slept in was located, they thought that climbing up to the top would help them get their bearings.

At the same time, Brock and the others were still searching the slopes and wooded areas along the mountain range. The Clefairy and Clefable they had seen the previous day were also looking, trying to find Cleffa while staying out of the group's sight.

Michael glanced around at the trees around them before saying, "Man, Hareta and Grovyle could be anywhere on this mountain range. We don't even know where they got out of the river; they could've gone all the way to the end or gotten out partway."

Mitsumi nodded, "Yeah, we know. But how else are we going to find them?" She glanced up at the sky, looking at the morning fog drifting through the sky as she said, "Searching from the air wouldn't do much, falling in the water means his scent doesn't stand out as much, and there are so many Pokémon living on this mountain that it would take Hareta's Lucario forever to find them by searching for his Aura. There's not much else we can do!"

Brock spoke, "Maybe there is. Does anyone have any Fire-type Pokémon?"

Gold spoke, "Mitsumi has an Infernape."

Michael added, "And my Flygon knows a few Fire-type moves."

Brock nodded, "Then let's try to make our way further up Mt. Moon. If we can get high enough, we might be able to send some kind of signal out, one that he'll hopefully see."

Kotone asked, "You mean like a smoke signal?"

Brock replied, "It would be similar, yes. The best way to send out a signal like that would be with fire, so that's why I was asking. Unless someone else has an idea that doesn't involve us wandering around aimlessly?" Nobody else did, so they agreed with Brock's plan and, after checking where they were with Kotone's PokéGear and Brock's compass, began to work their way up the mountain.

Up ahead of them, Hareta, Grovyle, and Cleffa were following one of the pathways leading further up the mountain. Grovyle was still feeling a bit exhausted so Hareta was helping him, this time carrying him on his back. While they were walking, Hareta tripped while he was looking elsewhere, landing on his front. Grovyle managed to catch himself with his claws after he fell off the boy's back, avoiding a hard landing. He glanced back at Hareta afterwards and asked, "(Boss, are you all right?)"

Hareta pushed himself up and said, "Yeah, I'm okay." He then got up on one knee, about to stand up when he suddenly clutched his left knee, which had bumped into a rock when he fell.

Grovyle noticed that the spot Hareta was clutching seemed to be getting a little darker, as though he had spilled a drink on it. "(It doesn't look like you're okay. You might need to stop for a few minutes,)" he noted. The way Cleffa was looking at the boy made him think that she thought the same thing.

Hareta took his hands off of his knee and said, "Come on, this is nothing. We can walk it off together if you're so worried." He then crawled beside Grovyle and wrapped his arm around his back so that he could support him while they were walking. He then stood up, doing so slowly due to the stinging in his knee increasing as he stood up. He then began walking with Grovyle, Cleffa following right beside them. While they walked, Hareta said, "We're getting close to the top. Once we're up there, we should be able to find everyone. It's just a little further. Just hang in there, okay?" Grovyle looked at him out of the corner of his eye, remembering what he had been saying in his sleep last night.

A short while later, they were almost to the top, though to go all the way required choosing one of two paths: a rocky passage that had a cold breeze blowing out from it or continue following the rocky trail. Hareta decided that Grovyle would probably not want to go through the passage if they could feel the cold breeze from where they were, so they kept going up the winding trail. They noticed a bunch of small rocks along the sides of the path, which they tried to steer clear of in case they were napping Geodude.

They were almost to the top of the path when what sounded like a Zubat's Supersonic rang out, causing many of the rocks along the path to reveal themselves to be Geodude! Startled, Hareta, Grovyle, and Cleffa began to run, making a beeline for the end of the path since the Geodude looked angry at being woken up and seemed to think that they were responsible. They rounded the corner at the end of the path, heading up the series of ledges that awaited them. At the top of the path, they found a large crater in the rock full of mist. Through the mist, they could see ice at the bottom coating the ground and rocks. They realized that this crater must be where the passage they saw earlier led to. Looking back, they heard the Geodude coming up the slopes behind them. And they couldn't see anywhere they could go that wouldn't involve more running…

The Geodude soon reached the area where Hareta, Grovyle, and Cleffa had run to. They looked around in confusion, not seeing any of them around. They began to search around, convinced that the three of them were hiding somewhere nearby. They were right, but they weren't looking hard enough. What they didn't see was a pair of hands gripping onto one side of the crater, the mist being thick enough to hide them from plain sight. They were Hareta's hands, and he was dangling down into the crater with Grovyle holding onto him while simultaneously holding Cleffa with his free arm. The cold was biting at all of them, but they kept holding on, staying as quiet as they could.

Eventually, the Geodude gave up looking and headed back down the slopes, their anger spent. It was a good thing too; if they had stayed any longer, Hareta likely would've lost his grip on the ledge. He quickly pulled himself up, Grovyle hanging onto him tightly as he did. Once they were all safely on solid ground, they collapsed onto it, Hareta tired from hanging onto the ledge for so long and Grovyle and Cleffa trying to warm up after being exposed to the cold air.

Suddenly, they heard a familiar voice call, "Hey! Hareta!" Hareta turned his head upwards to see Gold and the others coming down a path he hadn't noticed before that went further up the mountain. He realized that they looked like they were upside down, so he rolled over onto his side to right himself. He, Grovyle and Cleffa, managed to raise themselves up into a sitting position as the group reached them. Hareta's Minun leapt up into Hareta's chest as Gold knelt in front of him and asked, "Are you okay, man? You were lying on the ground when we saw you."

Hareta held Minun as he said, "Yeah. I was just feeling a little exhausted after hanging onto that ledge over there." He pointed over at the crater as he said that.

Kotone looked down into the crater, seeing the ice covering the ground on the bottom. "Whoa. There's ice down there?" she asked.

Brock spoke, "Yeah. I have a friend who was attacked up here a few years ago. I think his attackers used Ice-type Pokémon. Due to how high up it is, that ice has been down there ever since, only occasionally melting just to freeze again."

Hareta asked, "Who's this?"

Jun replied, "This is Brock. He's the Gym Leader of Pewter City and he helped us look for you."

Brock turned to Hareta and said, "You must be the Hareta I've been hearing about. It's nice to meet you." He came over and held out a hand to the boy to help him up.

Hareta took the hand and stood up, Grovyle and Cleffa having already stood up, and said, "Same here, Brock. Uh, sorry if I caused you any problems by getting in trouble."

Brock replied, "No, it's no problem. I was happy to help."

Mitsumi came over to Hareta and got in his face, saying, "All the same, Hareta, you need to stop finding trouble. Is that really so hard to do?"

Hareta answered, "Uh, I guess it is when trouble has a thing for finding you." Grovyle smirked at that, knowing that that wasn't too far from the truth.

Mitsumi was about to say something else when she noticed the Clefairy and Clefable they had seen the other day with Cleffa. Everyone else soon noticed too, Michael saying, "So that's what those two were doing. They were looking for that Cleffa."

Hareta smiled, "Well, even if we delayed their reunion, I guess we managed to keep her safe all this time."

Before Mitsumi could ask what he was talking about, a humming began to fill the air, and soon five Z.Z. Flyers appeared, coming up in the distance on the other side of the crater. The leader of the Pokémon Pinchers pointed at Hareta and yelled, "There you are!"

Gold exclaimed, "What? These guys again?"

Hareta nodded, "Yeah! They were waiting to ambush me yesterday! They made Grovyle, Cleffa, and me fall into the river!"

Jun growled, "So that's why it looked like part of the ledge had broken off!"

The Pincher that had been spying on Hareta previously said, "That was a mistake. You can thank this idiot for botching up a perfect opportunity to accomplish our mission!" He gestured towards the other male in the group as he said this, who immediately glared at him like he was the one who was wrong.

Brock spoke, "I don't care who's responsible for what. I suggest you stop what you're doing now and give yourselves up to the police before you make things worse for yourselves!"

One of the females smirked, "Nice try, squinty. You think we're going to give up on a mission involving a big payout just because you said to? Fat chance!"

The other female added, "But don't worry. We're not stupid enough to charge into something without properly preparing. So we brought these little beasties along to tenderize our target and anyone else with him!" Suddenly, several Absol, Makuhita, and Sandslash climbed up the slopes underneath the Z.Z. Flyers, all of them having the same out-of-it look that Pokémon that were being controlled usually had.

The leader pointed at the group and said, "Attack them, but don't kill them! We don't need any more heat right now!" At his command, the Pokémon all began running towards the group, ready to attack.

Brock noticed that Cleffa, Clefairy, and Clefable looked worried at the sight of the rushing Pokémon, so he called his Kabutops out. After telling it to defend them, he turned to everyone else and said, "We've got to stop these Pokémon, but don't attack them too hard! They're being forced against their own will to fight us!"

After everyone nodded, Hareta turned to Minun, who was sitting on his shoulder now, and said, "Maybe we can deal with some of them the same way we dealt with the Stunky that were under Charon's control. What do you think, Minun?" The Cheering Pokémon gave him a confident cry and smile to show that he could do it.

After finding out what Hareta intended to do, Gold sent out his Pidgeot and Kotone called out her Gardevoir to help back him up along with Ninetales in case of trouble. As the Pokémon got closer, Minun dashed towards them, weaving around the attacks of the Absol and Sandslash while trying to find a safe spot to land. He soon found one and, as soon as he landed, began to use Sing, which immediately began to affect the Pokémon. It knocked out all of the Makuhita and a Sandslash, but it didn't knock out any of the others due to Minun being sent flying by a Rollout attack from one of the other Sandslash.

He landed near the edge of the crater, an Absol already running towards him to give him another attack. The Disaster Pokémon didn't get a chance to attack, though, as Ninetales fired a Flamethrower at it, forcing it to dash out of its path while Grovyle used Agility to move fast and grab Minun before any of the other Pokémon could try to attack him.

Unfortunately, as he was going around the crater the long way to keep his speed high, another Absol was moving to stop him, its horn pointed directly at him as it ran. Grovyle tried to move faster, but the Absol was gaining on him. Hareta saw what was going to happen and immediately began to run to stop the Absol before it could strike, Gold calling for Pidgeot to stay above him while Kotone called for a Magical Leaf from her Gardevoir to keep any other Pokémon from moving to help the Absol. Hareta managed to reach Grovyle just seconds before Absol did and went around him, crouching down as he came to a stop and catching the Absol's horn in his hands. This caught the Disaster Pokémon by surprise and it slid to a stop, Hareta sliding backwards as he held on.

After they stopped, the Absol began to struggle to push Hareta away, its horn twisting slightly in the boy's hands and scrapping his skin. Grovyle slid to a stop, both him and Minun watching as Hareta fought with the Absol, the two of them pushing against each other. Gold called for Pidgeot to help Hareta with a Gust attack, the white energy it released from its wings knocking the Absol back away from Hareta. As he lowered his hands, Hareta said, "I'm not gonna let anyone hurt Grovyle. I'll keep him safe when he's trying to focus on something else!" Grovyle's eyes widened slightly as he looked at Hareta's back, feeling more than a little surprised at what the boy had said.

One of the female Pinchers growled, "This kid is starting to get annoying. I think it's time he learned his place. Sandslash!" At her command, a Sandslash near one of the Absol began running on all fours towards Hareta. Before it reached him, it changed direction and leapt onto the side of a nearby rock, jumping off of it and towards Hareta! Before the boy could react, it nailed him with a Poison Sting attack between his chest and stomach. The blow hit with too much force, however; it knocked Hareta over the nearby ledge and into the crater, sending him falling towards one of the frozen rocks!

Gold was about to call for Pidgeot to grab him when Grovyle let out a shout and leapt up, going over the edge of the crater with Minun on his shoulder. As he went up, his body began to glow white and change shape. It began to fade as he felt gravity take hold of him; he was much taller now and a tail replaced the two leaves at the base of his spine. He had evolved into a Sceptile!

Immediately after the glow faded, he launched into a Quick Attack, moving down towards Hareta. He soon caught up with the boy and grabbed him in his arms, firing a Bullet Seed down at the ground after he had secured his grip. The glowing yellow seeds slowed their descent down slightly, though Sceptile's legs still buckled slightly when he landed on the frozen ground. Despite this, almost immediately after landing, he crouched down and made a big leap, jumping all the way out of the crater with both Hareta and Minun, landing on the side of the crater between the group and the Pokémon Pinchers.

As the group made their way over, Sceptile crouched down and set Hareta down. Hareta looked up at Sceptile as he knelt down on one knee, Minun jumping down onto his shoulder a moment later. Hareta soon exclaimed, "Wow, Grovyle! You evolved, but why?"

The Forest Pokémon answered, "(Heh, just wanted to return the favor.)" He then winced as a combination of his landing and earlier fatigue caught up with him, both Hareta and Minun immediately looking concerned for him.

Gold noticed it too and asked, "What's wrong with Sceptile?"

Michael said, "Sceptile must've used up a bit more energy than he meant to. Evolution doesn't mean that a Pokémon's injuries automatically heal; they just might not feel them for a short time afterwards."

Brock spoke, "I can help with that. Come out, Chansey!" As he said the last sentence, he threw a Poké Ball which sent out the Egg Pokémon from within. After it appeared, Brock asked it to use Softboiled on Sceptile, Chansey raising her arms into the air as the egg in her pouch glowed yellow. Soon, a yellow glow in the shape of the egg rose out of her pouch and into the air; it floated over to Sceptile and melted into his body, causing him to be outlined in yellow. When the outline faded, Sceptile opened his eyes to find that his fatigue had vanished.

Suddenly, he swept his right leg out in a circle, managing to make Hareta's legs fly out from underneath him. Before he could land, Sceptile's tail got under him, keeping him from landing on the ground. Sceptile then stood up as Hareta came to rest against his back, looking back at the Forest Pokémon curiously. Sceptile grinned back at him, "(Figure you needed somewhere to land after I swept you off your feet. Like the seating arrangements?)"

Hareta smiled back, "Sure, just as long as this is okay with you."

Gold said, "I don't think he'll mind, just so long as you don't try to play 'horsey' or 'knight' while you're there."

The leader of the group of Pokémon Pinchers yelled, "Um, excuse me?" At that instant, everyone remembered that they were still there and turned to face them. The leader continued, "The only thing that overgrown lizard has done is made sure our prize isn't damaged! So whether you like it or not, we'll just be taking it now!"

Sceptile growled, "(Talking about boss like he's just a thing… Even calling him a freak or an animal isn't as bad as that! I'll personally see to it that you get what's coming to you for that!)"

Hareta noticed the tone in Sceptile's voice, so he turned to the rest of the group and said, "Leave them to us. We'll take care of them!" He then turned himself around so he was facing Sceptile's back and wrapped his arms around him, securing himself while Minun held onto him. He then asked, "Mind if we follow you into battle, Sceptile?" Sceptile shot him a smirk at that before hardening his gaze again, turning back to face the Pinchers.

The Pinchers called for all of the Makuhita (which had woken up at this point), Absol, and Sandslash to attack them and capture Hareta. As they attempted to rush them, Sceptile used Bullet Seed, knocking them all off of their feet. Before they could recover, Sceptile made the next move, rushing them and hitting them all with False Swipe. He kept going, heading for the Pinchers themselves. Panicking, all of the Pinchers raised their gauntlets, attempting to hit him with their beams. But Sceptile kept running, jumping at the last second and completely avoiding their beams.

While they were airborne, Hareta noticed that the seeds on Sceptile's back seemed to be gathering energy. Turning his head around, he noticed that they were fully exposed to the afternoon sun. "_Some kind of energy from the sun? Haven't I seen an attack that uses energy like that?_" Hareta wondered to himself. After a moment of thought, he remembered: Mitsumi's Leafeon had used a move like that during their battle in the Team Galactic HQ. Hareta faced Sceptile and asked, "Sceptile, are you gathering energy for an attack?" Sceptile nodded back to him, though he could see that Sceptile was feeling a bit unsure about using this move for the first time. Hareta nodded, "You can do it, Sceptile! I know you can!"

Minun added, "(Yeah! You'll pull it off perfectly! No doubt!)" Sceptile didn't respond to either of them, but they both could tell his usual confidence was back.

The Pokémon Pinchers aimed their gauntlets up at Sceptile, once again firing their beams at him. As they did, the seeds on Sceptile's back began to glow intensely! Hareta called, "Go, Sceptile! Solarbeam!" At that, Sceptile opened his mouth and fired a white beam from it at the Pinchers' beams, pushing through all five of them after a moment! The Pinchers immediately shielded themselves, sure that the Solarbeam was going to hit all of them.

After a moment, they opened their eyes, realizing that they were all okay and that Sceptile had landed and was now crouched down on one leg. The least intelligent of the male Pinchers called down to Hareta, "Ha, looks like evolving hasn't done much for that lizard's aim! It didn't even hit us! Maybe you need a target practice range!"

Hareta just calmly smiled, however, asking, "You sure about that? 'Cause it sure looks like he hit you to me." The Pinchers didn't know what he was talking about, but they soon got their answer when their Z.Z. Flyers suddenly began to malfunction! The Solarbeam had actually hit the bottom of their Flyers, damaging the critical areas of their flying platforms. Because they had lined up side-by-side when they used their gauntlets, the beam had no problem hitting all five of them at the same time, though the Flyers on the far left and right sides had suffered the least damage. They had still been damaged sufficiently enough, though, as all five of them soon crashed to the ground, their Control Gauntlets being damaged when they hit the ground and freeing the Pokémon from their control.

A short while later, all of the Pinchers were tied up and Jun was applying a bandage to Hareta's knee, having noticed the dark spot while they were tying up the Pinchers. As he was wrapping up Hareta's knee, he asked, "Geez Hareta, how did you manage to cut your knee on a rock after tripping and forget all about it until now?"

Hareta replied, "Well, I didn't want Grovyle to worry about me when he was the one who was in worse shape at the time. And in the process, I guess I ended up pushing it out of my mind."

Jun couldn't help but smile, "All right, I can understand that. Just don't forget, you're still human; you only get one body, so you have to remember to take care of it."

After Jun was done bandaging him up, they went over to join the others, who were standing around the captured Pokémon Pinchers. The not-so-smart male Pincher was spouting, "Come on, you guys! Why do you gotta be so serious? We were just doing the job we were told to do! You can't blame us for doing that! It wasn't anything personal! We don't even-"

He was cut off when the other male Pincher silenced him with a headbutt, saying, "Will you shut up, you idiot? You have the right to remain silent, you know!"

Gold sighed, "Finally. Thank you." He then asked, "Does anyone else feel like spouting out a bunch of nonsense or is it just him?" The other Pinchers shook their heads at this.

Brock asked, "So does anyone plan on talking or is that expecting too much?"

Before any of the others could say anything, the leader spoke, "It's not going to change anything, but I suppose you all have the right to know after all this. It's like you probably heard from the group back in Rota; we were just hired to capture this Hareta kid and deliver him to our client. After that was done, he claimed that he would pay us for our services. At least that's what I gathered anyway."

Kotone asked, "Gathered? What does that mean?"

The leader answered, "Look, I'm only the leader of this particular group. There's a guy above me who handles all of the mission requests that we receive. I only managed to hear little bits of the conversation he was having with this guy. It definitely sounded like a guy, albeit a really creepy sounding one."

Brock asked, "You thought he sounded creepy and you still agreed to carry out the mission?"

The leader said, "I never liked the sound of this job to begin with. But there was no persuading our leader. I eventually gave up trying to convince him to reconsider since he was so determined to get the money that we were promised. Somehow, I don't think he actually intended to pay us for this job."

Mitsumi asked, "Is that all you know?"

The leader nodded, "Yes. I know you have no reason to believe me, but I swear that that's the truth. I don't think this guy even gave us his name."

Hareta said, "Kind of like the guy who hired Domino to do basically the same thing. Could it have been the same guy?"

Mitsumi turned to him and said, "Perhaps, but if so, then it's all the more confusing."

Brock said, "Well, it looks like there's no more danger from these Pinchers in any case. Come on, help me stand them up; once we get to the Pokémon Center on Route 3, we're calling the police. I'm sorry about this, but all of you still have to pay for attempting to kidnap Hareta."

The leader replied as the bound up Pinchers were helped to their feet, "I knew there would be consequences when I took this job, and that includes going to prison. I'm willing to pay the price for what I've done, so there's no reason to apologize."

After saying goodbye to Cleffa, Clefairy, and Clefable, the group started making their way down the mountain towards Route 3. The way down certainly wasn't quiet, as the loudmouthed Pincher seemed to insist on shouting every little thing that came to mind while the rest of the Pinchers seemed resigned to their fate. The noise wasn't enough to keep Hareta awake, though, as he and Minun managed to fall asleep while riding on Sceptile's tail. The Forest Pokémon had no problem carrying them and kept a hand on the boy's back so they wouldn't fall off, smiling at them as they walked.

Brock smiled at this sight, "Poor kid must be really tired after all of this excitement. No wonder he's fast asleep in spite of the noise."

Gold grinned, "That's Hareta for you. He can be really stubborn when he wants to be… A real go-getter! But he's not stubborn enough to not know when it's time to quit. He worries about his friends before he worries about himself."

Jun smiled, "That's for sure. Even though he was beaten down during the battle at Team Galactic's HQ, once Empoleon was feeling better after going from being a Piplup to a Prinplup and then an Empoleon in a few seconds, he was immediately ready to go to Mt. Coronet. He's full of energy for sure, but he's also full of good thoughts and intentions. And a real pearl of wisdom when it comes to Pokémon and friendship." With that, the group continued to make their way down the mountain towards Route 3.

**Meanwhile, in an unknown location…**

A human-like figure stood before a ringing videophone, noting that the number displayed was the contact number for the Pokémon Pinchers. After a moment, the figure answered the call, the screen going to static for a moment before revealing a male Pincher. Before the man could say anything, the figure spoke, "So now you contact me. Should I assume that you're not calling to report that your little groups completed the mission?"

The Pincher shivered a bit, not liking the sound of the man's voice, but regained his composure and replied, "Well, not yet. But they did come close! They both had this kid right in their grasp, but… outside circumstances prevented either of them from capturing him." When the man didn't respond, he continued, "Now hold on! This sort of thing won't happen again, I assure you! Next time, my men will be ready for anything this kid throws at us! You'll have him, I swear!"

The man replied, "I regret to inform you that there are only a few things that I am patient for, and incompetence is not one of them. You haven't delivered me the kid in the timeframe that you said you would, and I don't care what excuses you may have. You've dropped your end of the bargain, so it's over for you."

The Pincher frantically spoke, "No, wait! I'll have him for you by the end of the day! You can't do this to me! Not after you promised to pay such a large amount of money!"

The man smirked, "Oh yes, your payment. I was going to tell you after you delivered the kid to me, but now that you've failed me, I see no reason to keep quiet about it any longer. You see, I never had any intention of paying you anything. You were going to do all of my dirty work for nothing and you wouldn't have even known about it until it was too late. That's all I have to say to filth like you. I've already tipped someone off to your location, so I'd suggest you make the most of the time you have left before the police arrive."

The Pincher screamed, "No! You can't be serious! We had a deal! We can work something out! Wait!" He didn't get a chance to say anything else since the man hit the 'hang up' button on the videophone, which promptly dropped the call.

In the now pitch black room, the man murmured to himself, "Humans… They're so hopeless. They either don't know how to properly use the power they have or they can't do anything right." He then turned in the direction of the door, walking over to it as he said, "Well, Hareta can enjoy the rest of his journey if he managed to overcome all of those attacks. Right now, I've still got some work to do for that old man." The doors slid open as he reached them and closed after he stepped out of the room, walking across what sounded like floor tiles with the sound of swirling water somewhere in the background.

* * *

Ugh, okay, first of all, I want to apologize for this chapter. Both for how late and... plain it is. Sure, some important stuff happens, but all in all, this chapter feels more like a classic filler chapter to me. Maybe that's why it was so hard to write. Well, I hope you guys liked it better than I do.

Anyway, as Michael said, he's got a lot of Pokémon available to him. As a result, expect to see his team change up whenever the group stops at a Pokémon Center. Except for Glaceon and his mystery sixth Pokémon, his team will be rotated. If you don't have any idea what his sixth Pokémon is, don't worry. It'll be making an appearance later.

More referencing the anime again, this time the episode "Cutting the Ties that Bind." It won't happen again. It's technically a spoiler, but Hareta's team won't be changing for a while.

Again, I'm sorry for how long it took to post this chapter and how it turned out. Hopefully I'll get back on track when I write the next chapter.


	61. Tales Around the Campfire

"Rampardos, use Head Smash!" Brock called to the Head Butt Pokémon. The Rock-type responded with a growl before charging towards its opponent, its head pointing in front of it and a whitish-blue aura surrounding its body.

"Hang in there, Sceptile! Hit him with Leaf Blade!" Hareta shouted, the Forest Pokémon extending the leaves on his arms into green blades and dashing to meet Rampardos head-on. Before they collided, Sceptile slid to a stop and held up his arms so that his arms made an 'X' shape near his claws, both blades in front of him and pointing towards Rampardos. The Head Butt Pokémon's head hit the blades directly, but was shielded by the aura surrounding it. It pushed Sceptile back several feet across the rocky battlefield before they both came to a stop, still pushing against each other as they stood in place. Gold, Kotone, Mitsumi, Jun, Ninetales, and Michael were watching the battle from above, standing on one of the two metal walkways positioned up on the sides of the battlefield.

After capturing the group of Pokémon Pinchers the other day, Brock had led everyone down to the Pokémon Center on Route 3, where Nurse Joy held onto the Pinchers until Officer Jenny arrived to take them away. Afterwards, Brock took them the rest of the way to Pewter City and showed them where the Pokémon Center was since the sun had started to set by the time they got there. Before he left, he told the group that the best time to ask him for a battle would be early in the morning since he had other things to do in the afternoon and evening.

Taking Brock's word on the matter, they got up early and headed for the Gym once they were ready to find the Rock-type specialist waiting patiently for them. Brock chose to battle Hareta and Gold one at a time, both sides being allowed three Pokémon for the match. Gold went first, starting off with Buizel against Brock's Rhyhorn. The sea weasel didn't have too much difficulty with the Spikes Pokémon, but it wasn't prepared for Brock's Kabutops and its Giga Drain. Meganium managed to bring Kabutops down, but not without suffering quite a bit of damage in the process. Although it was able to damage Brock's Onix a bit, it still fell, leaving Hitmontop to finish the battle. With the help of Agility and Gyro Ball, Hitmontop managed to defeat Onix after a hard-fought battle, earning Gold the Boulder Badge.

After Brock left his Rhyhorn, Kabutops, and Onix with his Chansey for healing, he took on Hareta's challenge next. He began with his Omastar while Hareta started with Lucario. The Spiral Pokémon's Protect and Sandstorm made it hard to hit, but Lucario eventually came out on top. Unfortunately, he was quickly taken down by Brock's Relicanth, which caught him with a combination of Head Smash and Aqua Jet. Hareta decided not to use Luxray or Sceptile yet, so he chose Empoleon next, the Emperor Pokémon causing a fair bit of damage while suffering only, comparatively, a light amount of damage. This played right into Brock's plan, though, as he had Relicanth use Rest, at which point it consumed its Lum Berry to wake up. It managed to cause some more damage to Empoleon, but it still fell, leaving Brock with Rampardos. The Head Butt Pokémon used Rock Polish to avoid a Hydro Pump attack and then used Earthquake, which managed to knock Empoleon out. With just one Pokémon left, Hareta sent out Sceptile, which eventually led to the collision between the two Pokémon.

Though they were both pushing as hard as they could, it seemed that neither Sceptile nor Rampardos could overpower the other. Unfortunately, Sceptile's Leaf Blade gave way just as they were on the verge of pushing each other back, allowing Rampardos to slam into the Forest Pokémon. Sceptile went flying back, landing on his front near the edge of the field. Rampardos groaned as it crouched down on one knee, the recoil from using Head Smash beginning to have a more powerful effect due to how weak it felt. Both Pokémon were getting tired; they wouldn't be able to keep going for much longer.

Sceptile groaned as he pushed himself up with his arms, feeling his strength starting to give out. Looking at Rampardos, he could tell that even though they were both exhausted, Rampardos was more likely to keep going, since the recoil of the Head Smash was nothing compared to the full brunt of the attack itself. "_(I've got to end this now or it's all over! I can't charge up a Solarbeam fast enough to dodge any other attacks Rampardos uses and Mega Drain is out of the question. Gotta keep moving to avoid defeat…)_" Sceptile said in his head. He glanced back at Hareta and the boy nodded, seeming to understand what he was thinking.

Brock called, "It's time to end this! Now Rampardos, use Zen Headbutt!" Rampardos' skull and eyes began to glow blue at his call, a light blue reflective shield surrounding its head. It then charged towards Sceptile, who remained on his claws and knees, even as Rampardos began to get closer.

"Sceptile's gonna get hit!" Jun exclaimed.

"No, he's not," Gold argued.

As Rampardos began to close in on Sceptile, Hareta called, "Dodge it, Sceptile, now!" At his call, Sceptile shifted more of his weight to his right side and then shifted it again in the opposite direction, lifting himself off the ground and spinning while moving to the left. Brock and Rampardos were caught off-guard at this action, Rampardos slamming into a rock that was behind where Sceptile had been. Sceptile, meanwhile, pressed his claws against the ground before he landed, moving so that he landed on his feet.

Recovering from slamming into the rock, Rampardos turned to face Sceptile, only to get blasted with a Screech attack. While its ears were ringing, Sceptile jumped onto a nearby rock and used it to leap towards Rampardos. As he got closer, Sceptile summoned his Leaf Blades again and slashed Rampardos with both of them, one after the other. Rampardos remained standing for a few seconds after Sceptile landed and slid across the ground, then fell over with swirls in its eyes. From up on the walkway, Mitsumi, who was serving as the judge for the battle, declared, "Rampardos cannot continue the battle! The match goes to Sceptile and Hareta!"

Hareta cheered and ran over to Sceptile, giving him a hug and beginning to heal him using his Aura. He was doing it slowly so that the injuries would heal more naturally. Brock came over to him after a moment and held out a Boulder Badge to them, saying, "Congratulations, Hareta. You and your Pokémon were great together. You've earned this Boulder Badge."

Hareta accepted the badge, saying, "Thanks, Brock. We sure had to work for it; you're one tough Gym Leader!"

Brock smiled, "Well, both Gym Leaders and security guards have to be tough to deal with anything that may happen."

Hareta asked, "Security guards?"

Brock explained, "Yeah, I have a part-time job as a security guard at the Pewter Museum of Science. That's where I got my Kabutops and Omastar from; they have the technology to resurrect Pokémon from fossils there."

Hareta said, "Sounds cool! Is it open right now?"

Brock replied, "Yeah, it's open late. The only thing is that most of the major exhibits have been moved, so there isn't as much there as there used to be. But there's still a lot to see, and the admission is free for now."

Hareta said, "Cool! We'll check it out before we leave!"

Brock nodded, "Sounds like a good idea. I'd better see how Chansey is doing with my Pokémon since my shift is going to start in a little while. She's like an on-site medic; in case something happens, she can help the Pokémon or person in any way she can. Anyway, I'll probably see you there!" He then headed into the back of the Gym, saying goodbye up to everyone else as he went.

**A short while later…**

"Here you are, Gold. These are all the Pokémon you left with me," Nurse Joy said. After leaving the Pewter Gym, the group went straight to the Pokémon Center so that Gold and Hareta's Pokémon could be healed. Hareta's were taken care of first, the boy having gotten them back several minutes ago, and now Gold was receiving his Buizel, Hitmontop, and Meganium.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy. I really appreciate it," Gold said before heading over to where the group was sitting in the lobby. Once he reached them, he asked, "We're still going to the Museum of Science, right?"

Michael nodded, "Right. As long as your Pokémon are feeling better, that is."

Gold replied, "That's what Nurse Joy told me."

Jun said, "Then let's get going!"

Mitsumi spoke up, "You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up to you."

Kotone asked, "What is it, Mitsumi? Is something wrong?"

The green-haired girl replied, "No, nothing like that. I just remembered that I was going to make a phone call. I want to take care of that now before I forget again."

Jun said, "Okay, we'll meet you there then. Don't keep us waiting too long, all right?" He then followed the rest of the group towards the sliding doors.

Mitsumi waited until he had walked through the doors before heading over to where the phones were, saying, "I never forgot about this, I was just waiting until I was alone like this to make the call. This is just something I need to confirm for myself." She sat down in front of one of the videophones and input the phone number of the person she was calling.

After a minute, the screen of the videophone displayed Professor Rowan's face. Upon seeing who was calling him, he said, "Ah, hello, Mitsumi. How are you doing today?"

Mitsumi replied, "I've been all right, Professor. How are your lab assistants working out for you?"

Professor Rowan answered, "It was a little nerve-wracking the first few days, but they seem to have settled in fine. But something tells me that you didn't call to check in on how Jessie, James, and Meowth are doing."

Mitsumi sighed, "I guess I should have expected you to figure that out. Yes, I do have something I wanted to ask you about." After a moment of hesitation, she started, "Um… Does Hareta have any grandparents? You know, aside from you."

Professor Rowan thought for a moment before replying, "Not that I know of. Why?"

Mitsumi said, "It might be nothing, but while we were in Rota for the annual 'Hero of the Year' festival, Gold and Kotone mentioned something about the costume that Hareta chose to wear. They said Hareta's blood-related grandfather wore an outfit just like it or something along those lines. And Hareta looked like he knew what they were talking about. Not like he had confused what they were saying for something else or anything like that."

Professor Rowan said, "Hm, I see. I'll see if I can talk to Kaisei and Johanna sometime to see if they know anything about that. If anyone knows for sure, it would be them. Where are you now?"

Mitsumi replied, "We're in Pewter City right now, but we'll probably head out into Viridian Forest after we're done visiting the Pewter Museum of Science."

Professor Rowan nodded, "Right. I'll be sure to contact either Nurse Joy or Professor Oak to let you know to call me if I find out anything."

Mitsumi said, "Thank you, Professor. I've got to be going now." Professor Rowan nodded, so she hung up the phone and stood up, heading for the doors. After exiting the Pokémon Center, she headed north to where the museum was located. As she walked, she thought, "_I thought I saw a blue glow coming from Hareta's hands when he hugged his Sceptile. Did I really see that or was I just imagining things? I wonder if he'd tell me if I asked him…_"

She was thrown out of her thoughts when she reached the museum and Jun, who was standing in front of the entrance, said, "Hey, there you are, Mitsumi! I was wondering when you were going to get here."

Mitsumi replied, "Jun, I was only in the Pokémon Center for a few extra minutes."

Jun grinned, "Whenever we're apart Mitsumi, what seems like minutes to you feels like weeks to me."

Mitsumi had an unimpressed look on her face as she said, "Uh, right. If you say so, Jun."

Jun grabbed her hand and said, "Great! Let's go then! You and me, walking through the museum together!" Mitsumi's feet slid across the ground as he pulled her along, not really in the mood to deal with Jun's flirting. She knew that she had promised to give him a chance, but she still wasn't particularly fond of his 'methods.'

Entering the museum at the top of the stairs in front, Mitsumi scanned the first floor of the museum, having stopped by once back when she and Professor Rowan were visiting the region. It was true, what Brock said: there wasn't as much stuff in the museum as she remembered. Following Jun past the front desk, she noticed that Gold and Kotone were examining some rocks together in one corner, Michael and his Glaceon were looking at the contents of the case in the middle, and Hareta and Ninetales were with a man nearby, listening to him talk about the meteorites they had seen on the way to Pewter City.

Before she could try to talk to Hareta, Brock came over and said, "Hey, I figured I'd be seeing you guys here! How do you like the museum so far?"

Mitsumi replied, "It's a little different from what I remember, but I'll need to look around a little before I can say anything for sure."

Brock nodded, "Of course. Take your time, you two lovebirds." He then walked away, heading back to his post.

Mitsumi growled under her breath, "Lovebirds? The nerve of him!" Jun, of course, just grinned and started to browse the nearby cases, expecting Mitsumi to stay with him. She did, but only because Hareta and Ninetales had moved on, going to look at something interesting. They were probably behind one of the display cases since she couldn't see them.

Not far away, Gold and Kotone were examining some of the rocks inside of a display case. Suddenly, they heard the sound of a voice nearby and turned to look. A young man with silver-white hair and mostly black attire was talking on a phone while examining a case. "Hello… You're breaking up… I think it depends on how my dad feels… I see… I'll be on my way. See you soon," they heard. He then hung up the phone and turned to see the two looking at him. "Oh! I'm sorry, was I disturbing you two?" he asked.

Gold replied, "Nah, we didn't really hear anything anyway."

The man nodded, "I see. My name is Steven. I'm the champion from the Hoenn region." He noticed Gold's Pokédex poking out of his hoodie pocket and the top of Kotone's sticking out of the top of her bag. "Ah, I see you both have a Pokédex! Are both of you in search of Pokémon?"

Kotone nodded, "Something like that, yeah. We're trying to see all the Pokémon we can."

Steven said, "Let me see… I think I can help you with that. …I know! Say you have three stones in front of you: a red one, a blue one, and a green one. If you could pick one, which would it be?"

Both Gold and Kotone thought a moment before Kotone said, "I'd probably pick the red one!"

Gold looked at her for a moment before turning back to Steven and saying, "I guess I'd pick the blue one."

Steven nodded, "I see. Follow me." He led the two Trainers over to a table away from the main exhibits, where a backpack was resting against the side of a case. He bent down and began to rummage through it for a minute before standing up and turning to them, holding two Poké Balls in his hands. He handed one to Kotone and the other to Gold, saying, "I'd like you both to have these for answering my question. Go ahead, see what's in them!"

Gold opened his Poké Ball first, a small blue Pokémon with a large head and orange star-shaped gills appearing from it. "Wow! I've never seen a Pokémon like this before!" he exclaimed. Consulting his Pokédex, he learned that it was a Mudkip, one of the starter Pokémon from the Hoenn region. He called out his Buizel and Pikachu to meet Mudkip, wanting them to get comfortable with each other.

While he was doing that, Kotone sent out the Pokémon in her Poké Ball. A small bird with orange and yellow downy feathers and a crest on its head appeared from it. Kotone squealed, "Ooh, it's a Torchic! It's so cute!" She bent down and began to rub it gently, trying to contain her excitement. The Chick Pokémon seemed a little wary of her at first, especially after her squeal, but it seemed to warm up to her. Kotone decided to introduce it to some of her other Pokémon, so she sent out her Croconaw and Cubone to meet it.

Gold looked away from his Pokémon, Pikachu and Mudkip talking while Buizel joined in at times, and over at Kotone's Pokémon. He immediately noticed how they were already starting to look like best friends. "Wow Kotone, looks like you know how to pick your Pokémon! I bet those three would make an amazing team together!" he said.

Kotone smiled, "Hey, maybe you're right, Gold. Once Torchic adapts, they'll probably make a real supernova of a team!"

Steven chuckled, "I'm glad you both like them and that they like you. Take good care of them. Your caring for them will make me very happy." After they promised that they would, he said, "I've been away from the Hoenn Pokémon League for too long. I'll have to excuse myself."

Kotone said, "Sure, it's no problem. Champions must be very busy, after all."

Gold nodded, then said, "Hey Steven! I'm gonna work hard with my Pokémon so I can battle with you someday!"

Steven smiled, "That sounds like fun. I'll be waiting. …Oh, I never got either of your names." Before they could tell him, he said, "But I won't ask for them this time. I'll learn them when the right time comes." He then left the museum, Gold, Kotone, and their Pokémon waving to him as he went.

After looking around the museum some more, everyone regrouped and, after Gold and Kotone introduced their new Pokémon, left the museum, heading south out of Pewter City. Gold checked his PokéGear as they left the city to see what kind of information it had on Viridian Forest. "Looks like most people refer to this forest as a natural maze, since people often get lost inside and not a lot of light can get through the trees," he commented.

Hareta sighed as he held his arms against the back of his head, "A forest… Kind of like back home, huh Minun?" He winked to the Cheering Pokémon sitting on his shoulder as he said this and he promptly winked back. Being home with Hareta's mom and dad was great, but they also had so many memories in the forest on Route 201 as well.

Mitsumi overheard him mention the word 'home' and spoke up, "Er, speaking of home…" Everyone looked at her, so she continued, "Maybe when this journey is done, we could have a little homecoming party."

Hareta grinned, "Hey, that sounds like a great idea!"

Jun nodded, "Yeah, no kidding! And maybe we can invite some friends over too!"

Mitsumi nodded, "And I'll make dinner."

Jun said, "You know, I've never had your cooking, Mitsumi. I bet it's great; at the very least, it's gotta be better than Hareta's."

Mitsumi was about to say something to him when she noticed the look on Hareta's face. "Hareta, is something wrong? Is it because of what Jun said?" she asked.

Hareta shook his head, saying, "No, it's just… Well, that idea sounds good too, but… You know, my mom and dad once took me out to a Chinese restaurant in Twinleaf Town. They've got some good food there and they give you a lot for what they charge you. I really liked that place. Maybe we could get some takeout from there; that way, no one would have to cook."

Mitsumi said, "Well… I suppose that's an idea. We could do that too."

Hareta wiped his forehead, sighing, "Close call…" Minun sighed too, echoing his sentiments.

Mitsumi glanced over at him, asking, "Did you say something?"

Hareta jolted before quickly replying, "I, uh… I love Chinese food. It's making me hungry just thinking about it. Yep, I can't wait. Yay!"

Mitsumi looked at him for a moment before saying, "Well, I'll check in with your parents before we go back to Sinnoh then." She then turned her attention back to the road. Hareta and Minun sighed once again, doing so a bit more quietly this time.

They soon reached the gate that marked the entrance to the forest. Looking up at it, Kotone murmured, "Viridian Forest is just ahead…" She turned to Michael and asked, "Say Mick, have you ever been in a forest before?"

Michael nodded, "Sure have. I actually live near one in Orre."

Jun asked, "I thought Orre was a desert region?"

Michael replied, "It is, but there are some green areas to the northwest. The rest of the region, more or less, is where the desert is."

Kotone said, "I see. Well, shall we get going now and talk more a little later?"

Hareta grinned, "Yeah, let's get going!" And with that, he dashed in the direction of the Viridian Forest, Minun running alongside him and echoing his enthusiasm.

Mitsumi screamed, "Hey! Hareta, you come back here!" She immediately dashed after him, hoping to get a hand on the young boy before he disappeared into the forest.

Gold grinned, "Heh, here we go again!" He then ran after them, followed by Kotone, Ninetales, Michael, and Jun.

**Later…**

Hareta and Minun were playing with some Bug-type Pokémon when Mitsumi finally managed to locate them. After yelling at Hareta, she promptly dragged him by his jacket back to the group, lecturing him on not running off while Minun followed. They managed to get partway through Viridian Forest before night fell, at which point they set up camp in a small clearing under the stars. They were currently sitting on logs around the campfire, exchanging stories while the Pokémon either sat near them or played nearby.

"…And that was the last criminal syndicate we investigated and stopped before Hareta and I stopped traveling around the Sinnoh region with Koya," Mitsumi concluded.

"Sheesh, that's crazy. I can't believe they thought they could get away with something like that!" Gold exclaimed.

Mitsumi nodded, "I know. But that's exactly what will happen to people who treat Pokémon like that." She then said, "Well, that's the end of my story. Who's next?" She looked over at Hareta and asked, "Hareta? Maybe you'd like to talk about what you've been doing during the past few months?"

Before Hareta could say anything, Jun spoke up, "Mitsumi, you know he already had his turn. He told us that story about what it was like growing up in the forest, remember?"

Gold smiled, "That was a good story! What a way to develop a gift for communicating with Pokémon!"

Jun chuckled before continuing, "Anyway, that just leaves Kotone and Michael as being the only ones who haven't had a turn yet."

Kotone turned to Michael and asked, "Do you want to go first, Michael, or should I?"

Michael replied, "You can go, Kotone. I'm still trying to decide what I want to say."

Kotone tapped her chin for a moment before saying, "I've got it." She reached into her bag and pulled out a brown colored stone that was somewhat shiny, holding it so everyone could see it.

Michael instantly recognized it and said, "That's Old Amber! It's a fossilized remnant of an Aerodactyl!"

Gold asked, "It is? How come you didn't get it revived while we were at the museum, Kotone? And when did you find that, anyway?"

Kotone replied, "Well, you remember when we met up at Azalea Town?" When Gold nodded, she continued, "I stopped at the Ruins of Alph on the way over there. I wanted to do a little searching around while I was there, and I ended up finding this Old Amber. It was my first big personal discovery, even if it wouldn't seem like much to other people. The scientists at the ruins said I could keep it, and I guess I never really mentioned it after we met up. But I never forgot about it. I guess I felt nostalgic for it or something, that's why I didn't ask someone at the museum to revive it. But I will someday."

Gold nodded, "Okay, I can understand that."

Kotone said, "I think I covered all I wanted to say, so I'm done."

Hareta glanced over to his left, looking at Sceptile (who was leaning against a tree) and Empoleon having a conversation, and Ninetales came over to listen in while Jun asked, "So Michael, do you know what you wanted to talk about now?"

The red-haired boy nodded, "Yeah. I'll tell you a little bit about that incident in the Orre region I mentioned before."

Mitsumi asked, "You really feel like talking about that?"

Michael replied, "Yeah, I do. Especially after all that talking you did about criminal syndicates. The syndicate that started the incident about five years ago and came back not too long ago to give their plans of world domination another try was called Cipher."

Gold asked, "Cipher? What, were they just another half-baked criminal organization?"

Michael shook his head, "Not a chance. Their Peons may have had an incompetent streak, but as a whole, they were dangerous. You all know that Pokémon are born having emotions and potential just like any human, right?" When everyone nodded, he continued, "Well, Cipher came up with a way to create Pokémon that don't have either. They called them Shadow Pokémon."

Kotone asked, "Shadow Pokémon?"

Michael nodded, "Right. Most of them look like ordinary Pokémon on the outside, but they're different on the inside, in the place where it counts the most. Shadow Pokémon are created in labs through an unknown process that closes the door to their hearts."

Mitsumi raised an eyebrow at this, "What does that mean?"

Michael explained, "Well, while normal Pokémon are typically friendly and trusting, Shadow Pokémon are little more than fighting machines. They don't hesitate to attack anyone they come across, whether they're humans or other Pokémon. As Shadow Pokémon, they're also able to use special Shadow moves. These moves are typically dark, corrupted versions of the regular moves a Pokémon might learn and are very effective against every Pokémon type. The only thing they're not effective against is other Shadow Pokémon, even if the move would normally be of a type that has an advantage over a Pokémon."

Hareta muttered, "That's horrible… They can't feel any emotions at all?"

Michael said, "Well, yes and no. They can't express any emotions or feel them, but they're still there. Sometimes, they can be overwhelmed by these unfamiliar emotions, which cause them to enter Reverse Mode, which is like a state of panic for them. No items can be used on them and they will cause damage to themselves, as if they were confused. I heard that during the first incident, there was a state called Hyper Mode, which made it more likely for Shadow moves to be critical hits, but I never saw it. Either way, it shows that the process of creating Shadow Pokémon is far from perfect."

Mitsumi said, "How cruel. Even if they could experience emotions, they must've still been beasts because of those experiments. There must've been many that were put down, right?"

Michael asked, "What? No, nothing like that happened!"

Mitsumi said, "But you had a criminal organization running around with these Pokémon! Don't tell me you didn't do anything about them!"

Michael smiled, "I did the exact opposite of that. You see all my Pokémon over there?" They looked over to another set of logs, where Michael's Glaceon, Zangoose, Mawile, Roserade, and Nosepass were sitting. Michael continued, "Except for Glaceon, all of those Pokémon, my sixth Pokémon, and most of the Pokémon I have in storage were all Shadow Pokémon at some point."

Jun exclaimed, "What? But… they don't look or act any differently from any Pokémon I've ever seen!"

Michael said, "Well, you wouldn't be able to see the difference. Like I said, Shadow Pokémon don't look any different from regular Pokémon to the naked eye. That's why I was given this." He gestured to the device on his headband as he said this.

Gold asked, "What is it?"

Michael explained, "It's an Aura Reader. It reacts to the Aura of Shadow Pokémon, the only way anyone can tell whether a Pokémon is a Shadow Pokémon or not. When it detects a dark Aura, it activates a small screen to show me the Aura and alert me."

Jun grinned, "That's what it's for? I thought it was for measuring power levels."

Michael glared at him, "Very funny. You know how many times I've heard that?"

Hareta asked, "I know Aura isn't something just anyone can see, so how did the people who made that discover that a Shadow Pokémon's Aura looks different?"

Michael explained, "When the first Cipher incident occurred, they were stopped by a dissenter from Team Snagem, another criminal group that allied themselves with Cipher during that time, and a girl who was able to see the Auras of Shadow Pokémon. Afterwards, I guess, scientists tried to replicate this ability with technology. As you can see, they succeeded."

Kotone said, "But even if you can tell what Pokémon are Shadow Pokémon, they must've been owned by these Cipher creeps so they wouldn't go around destroying everything. So how did you deal with that?"

Michael said, "With the other piece of technology that was developed alongside the Aura Reader: the Snag Machine."

Mitsumi asked, "Come again?"

Michael explained, "When Cipher briefly worked with Team Snagem, they supplied them with machines called Snag Machines. They had large variations, which looked like big vending machines that must've worked autonomously, and a smaller variation that could fit on a person's arm. That dissenter from Team Snagem I mentioned? When he left, he destroyed their hideout, destroying the larger Snag Machines and stealing the smaller one in the process. He used it to take Shadow Pokémon from the members of Cipher and Team Snagem."

Hareta asked, "How does it work?"

Michael said, "I don't know how the big ones worked, but the smaller one is able to charge a Poké Ball with a type of energy. This energy converts it into a Snag Ball, which is then used like a normal Poké Ball to capture a Pokémon owned by a Trainer. It works the same way as capturing wild Pokémon: if the Pokémon doesn't manage to break free of the Snag Ball, then it no longer belongs to the original Trainer. At that point, it belongs to the person who snagged it."

Gold asked, "You mean it somehow ignores the fact that a Pokémon already belongs to someone? It breaks the link between the Pokémon and the Poké Ball?"

Michael replied, "It's something like that. Which is why Cipher gave those machines to Team Snagem in the first place: they wanted them to steal Pokémon to use as Shadow Pokémon."

Mitsumi exclaimed, "That's illegal, you know!"

Michael said, "I know that. And evidently, the guy who broke away from Team Snagem knew that too. There were never any cases of regular Pokémon being stolen in the Orre region after Cipher was stopped, and that model didn't have the safety device that mine did."

Gold asked, "What safety device?"

Michael explained, "The Aura Reader was developed as more than just a way to recognize Shadow Pokémon. It also has an alarm system set up that prevents the new Snag Machine from being used if there are no Shadow Pokémon in the area. I don't know if it would work if they were separated, like when mine was briefly stolen, but either way, it was made to prevent the Snag Machine from being used for criminal purposes again."

Kotone said, "And that leads to my next question. How do you get the Pokémon to open the doors to their hearts?"

Michael said, "That requires being around humans and Pokémon that care. By spending time in this kind of company, a Pokémon begins to regain its old personality. As the purification process continues, a Shadow Pokémon will begin to open the door to its heart, though it requires one extra thing to open all the way. To open the final lock, the Pokémon must be taken to the Relic Stone in Agate Village."

Jun asked, "What's the Relic Stone?"

Michael answered, "The Relic Stone is said to be a place where the Legendary Pokémon Celebi once landed. It has the power to help Shadow Pokémon remember their happy and carefree lives, before the doors to their hearts had been closed. The Relic Stone has some of that power, as it allows the Pokémon to relive their memories. This is what opens the final door to their hearts and completely purifies them. From then on, they no longer remember any of their Shadow moves and go back to being regular Pokémon again."

Gold said, "Wow… That process must take a while."

Michael shrugged, "Yeah, it can. I'm sure it took a while for the hero from Team Snagem to purify all the Pokémon that Cipher made five years ago by himself. Things were a little easier for me since my father and Professor Krane developed the Purify Chamber in case Cipher ever returned after their first defeat. It came in handy, since there were a lot of Shadow Pokémon to deal with. It could hold up to nine Shadow Pokémon at a time, purifying them while I investigated Cipher's activities. It could also complete the purification process without having to go to the Relic Stone, but that could only be done from the lab. It was also the only way to purify one of the Shadow Pokémon they created."

Jun said, "Wow… That's some tale."

Hareta nodded, "Yeah, it sure is." He yawned a moment later.

Mitsumi said, "Hareta! Don't yawn after a story and lie that it was interesting!"

Hareta replied, "But I mean it! I've been paying attention the whole time! That just…" He then glanced at his Pokétch and asked, "Whoa, is it that late already?"

Gold glanced at his PokéGear and said, "Wow, it is! We got so wrapped up in our stories that we didn't even realize what time it is!"

Michael smiled, "Well evidently, the Pokémon didn't notice either." Everyone noticed that the Pokémon that had been listening in were starting to yawn too. Some of the other Pokémon were starting to yawn as well.

Kotone said, "Well, I guess we'd better turn in for the night."

Mitsumi said, "But I want to hear a little bit about your Johto journey!"

Gold spoke, "I already talked a little about it when it was my turn, Mitsumi. We can finish it up some other time. We're not gonna be able to find our way out of the forest tomorrow if we're too tired to pay attention to the path."

Michael nodded, "I agree. Let's get some sleep." Everyone rolled out their sleeping bags, making a hexagon-like shape around the forest fire and began to settle in for the night. Glaceon curled up beside Michael's sleeping bag, Minun and Sneasel snuggled into Hareta's while Typhlosion slept along the side of it, Pikachu, Pichu, and Mudkip slept near Gold's head while Meganium rested near his bag, and Kotone's Torchic, Cubone, and Croconaw all slept along the side of her sleeping bag. All the other Pokémon spread out around the campsite, getting comfortable.

Before she fell asleep, Mitsumi glanced over at Hareta's sleeping bag, eyeing the boy for a minute while thinking. She eventually decided to leave the matter alone and settled down into her sleeping bag, welcoming the sleep that followed.

* * *

Not a lot of action here, but I figured something a little less action-packed would work after the last two chapters.

I know Steven appears in Saffron City after you defeat Red to give you one of the Hoenn starters, but he also appears in the Pewter Museum on two different occasions. I figured it would work better for my story to have him appear here in Pewter City.

Golda and Kotone's comments about her Croconaw, Torchic, and Cubone getting along like a team is meant to be a reference to a fanfic I've read entitled "The Saga of Team Supernova," the author of which has gone by several different online names.

When Jun and Micheal are talking about the Aura Reader, they're making a reference to DBZ, both to the scouters and the "over 9000" joke. I'm going to admit I'm stupid here and ask what the joke is. I understand how it's a meme, but I don't get what makes it a joke.

I took a few liberties while writing out Michael's story, such as what Reverse Mode is like and how the Snag Machine works. I don't mention Wes and Rui's names because the characters in Pokémon XD never refer to them by name. But I will be using their official names when and if they appear.

Music:

Hareta vs. Brock - Kanto Gym Leader Battle (Pokémon Stadium 2)

Calling the Professor - Kakariko Village (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past)

Pewter Museum of Science - Marine Science Museum (Pokémon RSE)

Night in the Forest - Forest Haven (The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker)

Michael's Story - Credits (Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness)

Suspicious? - Bell Tower (Pokémon HGSS)


	62. A Stop in Evergreen Paradise

Kotone stretched as she walked out of the gatehouse that marked the south entrance to Viridian Forest, saying, "Ah, we're out of Viridian Forest! And, ironically, we made it out this fast because Hareta ran off!"

Gold came up behind her, his Pichu riding on his shoulder, and said, "Yeah, that's true. Mitsumi ought to be grateful he took when he did. I once heard it takes some people days to get from one end of the forest to the other. That's apparently why they cut down part of the forest to make that other path here on Route 2. But like with Ilex Forest, it's hyperactivity to the rescue!" Kotone and Pichu giggled at that.

They were soon joined by the rest of their companions, Michael and his Roserade coming out first with Jun and Ninetales coming behind them. Hareta, his Misdreavus, and Mitsumi were the last to join, Mitsumi scolding Hareta as they came out, "Hareta, you've got to stop letting your Misdreavus scare everyone! Do I need to make you a leash for it to get you to do that?"

Hareta answered, "Hey, take it easy on Misdreavus, Mitsumi. You know she doesn't eat the same we do. She had to scare that guard in there or she might have gone without breakfast!"

Mitsumi said, "All right, all right." She then looked at Misdreavus and said, "It's okay this one time, but don't be doing it as we're making our way to Viridian City. The last thing I want to hear from someone as we're walking away is a scream of terror. Do you understand?"

Misdreavus nodded, "(Okay, I'll be good.)" She then floated down a bit, coming to rest on Hareta's left shoulder.

Gold called, "Hey, are you just about done? We're not far from Viridian City; I don't have a problem with it, but it'd be kind of embarrassing if we had to camp out when we're this close to a city."

Hareta and Mitsumi walked over to the rest of the group, at which point they started making their way south to Viridian City. Along the way, they encountered three Bug Catches who were looking to battle with their tough Bug-type Pokémon. These battles gave Jun, Kotone, and Michael a chance to give their Pokémon some time battling.

A few hours later, they entered Viridian City, near the path leading to the Gym. Hareta and Gold wanted to check it out right away, but the others convinced them to wait until they stopped by the Pokémon Center first. As they made their way into the city, they came across an old man who said, "Ah, I've had my double shot of espresso and now I feel great! You youngsters, you seem to be quite the traveling group. You must be looking to catch all kinds of Pokémon. I used to be quite an expert at catching Pokémon, you know!"

Jun shrugged, "Okay, if you say so."

The old man replied, "I do say so! I was quite the hotshot, I tell you!"

Gold whispered to everyone, "We'd better go now or we might be here until midnight!" Everyone nodded and began making their way down the road, the old man waving to them as they left.

They soon arrived at the large Pokémon Center and gave their Pokémon and Ninetales over to Nurse Joy to look after. While everyone else found a spot to sit down in the lobby, Mitsumi headed over to the telephones and sat down at one, dialing Professor Rowan's number. The professor's face soon appeared on the screen and he said, "Ah, Mitsumi! Have you already reached Viridian City?"

Mitsumi nodded, "Yes, we arrived just a little while ago. Have you had a chance to talk to Hareta's parents yet?"

Professor Rowan replied, "I managed to take a break during my work last night to pay them a visit. They were happy to have me over."

Mitsumi said, "Well, that's good. Did you find out anything?"

Professor Rowan answered, "When I asked them about their family history, they were a little confused, so I mentioned what you had told me to them. Even then, they were confused. I think it's safe to say that neither of them have any living family members who would wear clothing from hundreds of years ago on a regular basis."

Mitsumi asked, "So what does that mean, then? That Gold and Kotone are wrong about what they said?"

Professor Rowan crossed his arms and said, "I don't know. Didn't you say Kotone enjoys learning about history and making discoveries?" When Mitsumi nodded, he continued, "It's possible that she or Gold might have done some research and found out something about Hareta's family that neither Kaisei nor Johanna are aware of. Of course, why either of them would want to do that is another mystery if it turned out to be true."

Mitsumi leaned back in her chair as she said, "I see your point, professor. Well, thanks for asking them for me. By the time we come back to Sinnoh, I might've forgotten all about my question."

Professor Rowan nodded, "Of course. I hope you enjoy the rest of your journey in Kanto. If anything comes up, I'll try to contact you." With that, the professor's image disappeared as the screen went black.

As Mitsumi stood up, a poster on the wall caught her attention. Moving closer for a better look, she saw that it displayed three guys and a lone girl, the guys having silver-white hair and the girl having pinkish-white hair. Mitsumi's eyes lit up as she immediately recognized them. "The Go-Rock Quads! I can't believe it!" Looking the poster over some more, she realized that they were having a concert today! "They're my favorite band! I can't miss this!" she exclaimed.

Michael glanced over at Mitsumi as he saw her coming over with Ninetales and all of their Pokémon and, when she was close enough, said, "If your eyes were any bigger, they'd probably be about the size of Hareta's. What happened to you that has you all excited?"

Mitsumi answered, "I just found out there's something going on in Viridian City that's more important than watching another Gym battle!"

Gold placed his arms behind his head and had an unimpressed look on his face as he asked, "And what might that be?"

Mitsumi replied, "The Go-Rock Quads are having a performance today!"

Hareta asked, "The Go-Rock Squad? What's that?"

Mitsumi said, "Go-Rock QUADS, Hareta. They're a band, my favorite band to be exact!"

Gold smirked, "Huh. No wonder it's so important."

As she picked out her Poké Balls, Mitsumi said, "You'd better believe it. They're supposed to start in an hour and a half. So if you'll excuse me…" With that, she began heading for the sliding doors.

Jun quickly grabbed his own Poké Balls, stood up, and ran after her, grabbing her shoulder when he caught up. "Hold on, Mitsumi! I know the time before a concert is a great chance to pick up souvenirs, but you're not even gonna stay for part of the battle? Unless it's a full battle, it shouldn't take more than half an hour!"

Mitsumi turned around ready to argue with him, but then she thought of something. After all, she was such a fan of the Go-Rock Quads that she'd even do what she was about to do to get to one of their performances. "Jun, you've been looking for a chance to spend time with me, right?" she asked.

Jun, after taking a moment to process what she said, replied, "Well, sure. Of course I have."

Mitsumi asked, "Then why are you trying to ruin such a good opportunity? We can pretty much disappear from the others since there's bound to be tons of concert goers!"

Jun caught on and grinned, "Oh, so that's your plan! All right, let's go listen to the Quads, then!" He then let her drag him out of the Pokémon Center, both of them heading to where the Go-Rock Quads would be performing.

Back inside the Pokémon Center, Michael commented, "Well, that was kind of unexpected."

Kotone nodded, "Yeah. This is probably the first time I've seen Mitsumi making the move instead of Jun."

Hareta said, "I don't understand why she doesn't like Jun anyway."

Gold took off Hareta's hat and rubbed the top of his head, saying, "You might not know now, but I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually." He then stopped rubbing the boy's head and gave him his hat back, saying, "Anyway, we might as well go challenge the Gym Leader while they're off doing their thing."

Kotone shrugged, "Might as well. Concerts can last a long time, after all." Everyone gathered up their bags and Poké Balls and left the Pokémon Center, heading north to where they had seen the path leading to the Gym.

As they walked, Michael noticed that Hareta seemed to be a bit sad about something and asked, "What's wrong, Hareta?"

The boy replied, "Oh… I just wish Mitsumi could come and see the Gym battle. She's always so happy and supportive when we're in the Gyms."

Michael nodded, "I see. Guess she had to focus on being the judge back in Pewter City instead of being either of those then."

Gold turned his head to look back at Michael and said, "It's true, though. For all the times she gets annoyed at Hareta, she is good friends with him. I don't think anything could really ever keep them from being friends for too long."

Kotone spoke, "You're probably right, Gold. Too bad the same thing can't be said about her relationship with Jun!" Gold grinned at that.

Soon, the group came across the old man they had passed earlier and took the path to the right, heading for the Viridian Gym. When they reached it, however, they found a sign on the front door. "What? Closed?" Gold yelled.

"Maybe the Gym Leader's taken the day off?" Michael suggested.

"That or maybe they still don't have a Gym Leader. Giovanni used to be the Gym Leader here; some people even referred to him as 'Giovanni of the Land' due to being a Ground-type Gym Leader. He must've abandoned the Gym after Team Rocket fell apart," Kotone said.

A voice from behind the group said, "That's right, young lady." Everyone turned to see an old man standing near them. He continued, "We were without a Gym Leader for a long time. Then a new Gym Leader arose to hand out the Earth Badge: Blue, the runner-up in the Indigo League three years ago."

Kotone said, "Blue… Didn't he lose to Red in the final round?"

The old man nodded, "Yes. But even though he has accepted the title of Gym Leader, he hasn't given up his nature as a travelling Trainer. As a result, many Trainers come here only to find out that he's not watching over his Gym. It would appear he's left once again."

Gold sighed, "Great… How long is he usually gone for?"

The old man answered, "I'm afraid I don't know."

Hareta asked, "You mean he can be gone for a long time?"

The old man nodded, "Yes. But you don't have to wait for him to return. There's another Pokémon Gym to the south. The Cinnabar Island Gym."

Michael asked, "I thought the volcano on Cinnabar Island erupted, destroying most of the town there?"

The old man replied, "That may be, but I've heard Trainers talking about Blaine, the Cinnabar Island Gym Leader. So it would seem he's still around."

Hareta said, "Cool! Thanks for telling us, mister!" The old man nodded and began to walk away.

Kotone turned to everyone and said, "Well, we know where we should go next, but we can't do anything until Mitzi's concert is done. I'm sure she'd have a hissy fit if she found out we went on without her."

Michael shrugged, "So I guess we'll have to amuse ourselves until then."

Hareta asked, "Couldn't we just go and find them at this… concert? I mean, we could watch it with them, right?"

Gold said, "I wouldn't count on it, Hareta. Big performances can usually attract a lot of people, so it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Besides, you usually have to like listening to loud music and people screaming around you for a long time to properly enjoy a rock concert."

Kotone spoke, "Then I guess that's out. So what do you guys say we split up for now and meet back at the Pokémon Center later?"

Gold shrugged, "Sure, sounds like a good idea. What do you guys think?" Hareta, Michael, and Ninetales voiced their agreement.

Hareta turned to Ninetales and asked, "Do you want to explore the city with me?"

Ninetales nodded, "(Certainly. Even if you didn't ask me, I would've follow you.)"

Michael asked, "Mind if I tag along?" Hareta shook his head, so the three of them leapt down the nearby ledge while Gold and Kotone went back down the path they had taken, deciding to do a little searching of their own.

After a little walking, Gold and Kotone came across a building they had passed on their way to the Pokémon Center and again on the way to the Gym. It appeared to have been built with wood and had a green roof and two windows in the front. According to the sign near the entrance, it was called the Trainer House, and it served as a place where Trainers could battle in a controlled environment. This caught Kotone's attention, so she headed inside while Gold followed her in.

After a few minutes of asking around on the first floor, Gold and Kotone were led down to the basement, where the battlefield was. They both had signed up for separate three-on-three battles and Kotone's was first. She stepped out onto the field while Gold, Meganium, Pikachu, and Pichu watched from the sidelines with some of the other Trainers. Kotone's opponent was an Ace Trainer by the name of Carrie.

Kotone chose to start off with Croconaw while Carrie sent out her Tangela first. Carrie led off by calling for a Stun Spore attack, her Tangela shaking its body as it released a cloud of orange powder. The cloud was headed for Croconaw, so Kotone called for a Water Gun, the stream of water managing to split the cloud in two, preventing it from coming into contact with Croconaw. Tangela then used Power Whip, several vines glowing blue as it sent them towards Croconaw. Kotone called for an Aqua Tail, but the water spirals that formed around its tail only managed to hold the vines back for a moment before they got past, smacking into Croconaw and sending him flying. He ended up on his back and slid to a stop.

Croconaw looked up to see Tangela heading towards him, several of its vines ready with a Tickle attack. Just as it was about to reach him, though, he rolled to the side and planted his hands against the ground, creating some space between him and the ground. This allowed him to avoid the attack and get back up onto his feet quickly. Undeterred, Tangela lashed out several more vines in a Vine Whip attack. Before they could connect, Kotone called for a Screech attack, Croconaw unleashing a loud cry that made Tangela freeze in place. While it was still frozen, Croconaw dashed towards it, leaping over the vines and delivering a powerful Slash attack!

The attack brought Tangela back to reality and it retaliated by catching Croconaw with a Bind attack. Kotone quickly noticed a big mistake, though: only Croconaw's arms were bound. His jaws were left free. Before Tangela could start trying to squeeze him, Kotone called for an Ice Fang and Croconaw complied. The two fangs along his upper jaw began to glow light blue as he opened his mouth, which soon turned into two beams of light blue energy. Both of them struck Tangela in the face, causing it to release Croconaw as it was sent flying. It landed on the ground with swirls in its eyes, indicating that it was defeated.

Before anyone could cheer for Kotone, Croconaw's body suddenly began to glow white! Everyone watched on in surprise as Croconaw began to get taller, more muscular. The glow soon faded, revealing that he now had three sets of three-pronged spikes on his body, the V-shape from when he was a Totodile was now visible between his thighs, he had longer arms, and more visible teeth in his mouth. Croconaw was now a Feraligatr! Kotone was amazed at this and decided to stick with Feraligatr.

Unfazed by the sudden evolution of Kotone's Pokémon, Carrie calmly called out her next Pokémon, her Stantler! Kotone led off by calling for another Ice Fang, but Carrie retaliated by calling for Me First, Stantler imitating Feraligatr's Ice Fang and hitting him with the attack before Feraligatr could react. It only managed to knock Feraligatr back a short distance, though, and he quickly recovered from the hit. Carried then called for a Take Down attack, Stantler charging towards Feraligatr at that call.

Kotone called for a Hydro Pump, but Stantler was able to dodge quickly while running, moving to the sides whenever the blast of water was fired in its direction. The attack never connected with Stantler, and it ended up charging right into Feraligatr's midsection. While they were still connected, Kotone called for a Bite attack, Feraligatr biting down on one of Stantler's horns, catching it by surprise. Swinging it around like that, Feraligatr eventually slammed it against the floor, stunning it. It managed to get up and turned to face Feraligatr, preparing to use Hypnosis, but was greeted with a blue fist as Feraligatr attacked it with Superpower! This sent Stantler flying into a wall; it soon slid down and slumped down onto the floor, defeated.

Carrie was surprised at how easily Kotone took down her second Pokémon, but she did her best to remain calm. She was an Ace Trainer after all; aces don't panic over things like this. After a moment, she sent out her last Pokémon, Porygon2! Kotone called for Feraligatr to use Hydro Pump, which Porgyon2 dodged by using Magnet Rise to float out of the way. It then shot towards Feraligatr with a Tackle attack. Feraligatr retaliated with a Bite attack, catching Porgyon2 in his jaws and flinging it away.

After Porgyon2 recovered from the attack, Carrie called for it to use Conversion 2. Porygon2 glowed brightly at that, changing its type from Normal-type to Fighting-type. It then used Psybeam, firing a multicolored beam from its eyes at Feraligatr. The Big Jaw Pokémon easily dodged it, moving faster than his bulk might've suggested, and ran on all fours towards Porygon2 with a Slash attack ready. The Virtual Pokémon managed to dodge the claws, however, and attacked Feraligatr from behind with a Signal Beam.

This sent him face first into the floor, the strain of the battles beginning to catch up with him. Carrie then called for a Tri Attack, Porgon2's eyes glowing white as it fired three beams of energy from its face at Feraligatr, the beams twisting and turning around each other. Kotone remained calm, though, and called for a Hydro Pump, Feraligatr flipping onto his back at her call. The spikes on top of his head began glowing a light red and he released a blast of water from his mouth towards Porygon2. The two attacks didn't even hold for a moment before Hydro Pump broke through, the water slamming into Porygon2 and sending it into the ceiling. When the blast stopped, Porygon2 fell from the ceiling and landed on the ground hard with swirls in its eyes. The battle was over!

After the cheering was done and Kotone had shown Feraligatr enough affection, they headed off the field after Carrie, Gold waiting for her. Kotone knew his battle was next, so, as she walked off the field, she gave him a high-five while Meganium and Feraligatr did something similar. Gold, Meganium, Pikachu, and Pichu then walked onto the field while Kotone and Feraligatr went over to where they had been to watch. Gold's opponent was an Ace Trainer named Cal, and he looked like he had more battle experience than Carrie. This was going to be fun to watch.

**Meanwhile…**

Hareta, Empoleon, Sneasel, Michael, Glaceon, and Ninetales were hanging out near a pond not far from the city's Pokémon Center. Up to this point, they had been walking around the city, peeking in buildings and alleyways to see what they could find. Now they were taking a break before they decided what to do next.

"Whew, that was pretty fun. I've never been in a city this big before," Michael commented as he adjusted his headband.

"I can imagine. There probably aren't that many cities in Orre, right?" Hareta asked.

Michael nodded, "Yeah. There are only a few major cities and towns, and they're not really that big." He then glanced around the small area they were sitting down in and said, "This is a pretty nice place you picked to rest at."

Hareta nodded, "I know. I love being outside, surrounded by grass and trees and… well, nature! Guess that's because I grew up with Pokémon in the wild." He then looked at the pond, where Empoleon was floating around lazily, and said, "I also like water a lot. It makes me feel different somehow."

Michael asked, "Different how?"

Hareta replied, "Well, it makes me feel calm, for one thing. It also makes me think strange things. Like, what would it be like to be able to breathe underwater like Empoleon and other Water-type Pokémon do? That's gotta be amazing! But more than anything, I wonder why being in the water feels so natural. Is it part of who I am or something?"

Michael shrugged, "Well, I don't think I can help you there, pal. But hey, maybe that's a question you'll find out the answer to someday."

Hareta nodded, looking down at Sneasel, who was taking a quick nap in his lap, and rubbed her back. She gave a light purr at that, snuggling a little closer up against him. Hareta then thought of something and asked, "Hey Michael, you said you were involved with Cipher, right? What, uh, what was that like? What kind of adventure did you have?"

Michael asked, "Hmm? Well, let's see…" He thought for a moment before beginning, "I guess my adventure started after I was done with a Battle Sim."

Hareta asked, "Battle Sim?"

Michael replied, "It's like a training program done with computers. With the proper data, you can create any kind of battling situation and set the rules for the battle. Anyway, after I was done with that, my mom asked me to look for my little sister, Jovi. She was playing hide-and-seek with a friend from the lab, but she somehow forgot about the game and went to Dr. Kaminko's house."

Hareta giggled, "Wow, she certainly sounds like she would be the life of a party!"

Michael smiled, "Yeah, she's kind of an odd one. But I still love her. After we got back, Professor Krane wanted me to test the new Snag Machine that he and Aidan had developed. Before we could test it, a group of Cipher Peons showed up to kidnap the professor! I managed to test out the Snag Machine by snagging a Teddiursa from one of the Peons, but they got away."

Hareta said, "That's awful! What happened afterwards?"

Michael said, "Well, we were all kind of feeling down after that, but mom refused to give up. She wanted to try to help Professor Krane and finish the Purify Chamber as well, so she sent Jovi and me to Gateon Port to pick up the Machine Part that had been ordered for it. While we were there, we ran into some faces that I would be seeing much later."

Hareta ventured to ask, "Who?"

Michael replied, "Aside from a thug named Zook, who got steamed and sent his Shadow Zangoose out just because Jovi bumped into him, we met an old man named Mr. Verich and his two, uh, bodyguards I guess we could call them, Ardos and Eldes. Ardos dealt with Zook and, after they all left, we ran into Emili, one of Jovi's friends, and her mother, Acri. We talked with them for a little bit before we went to the Machine Parts Shop. Neither the owner, Makan, nor his grandson Perr were there, but the person watching over the shop gave me an Ice Shard." He stopped to pat Glaceon on the head before continuing, "Since it was part of an Ice Rock, it allowed Eevee to evolve into Glaceon!"

Hareta smiled, "So that's how Eevee evolved. What happened next? Did you get the Machine Part?"

Michael nodded, "Yeah, luckily Perr was working on the rotating bridges in the port and he was done when we found him. He gave us the part and, after doing a few more things in Gateon Port, we headed back to the lab. After we dropped it off, mom sent me to Agate Village to meet with the village elder, Eagun, and start learning about purifying Pokémon. After that, he sent me to Mt. Battle to meet with Vander, one of the Area Leaders. I ran into Eldes when I arrived there and he told me to think about the reason why I want to get stronger. Since then, I've thought that that's something worth thinking about."

Hareta nodded, "Yeah. What's Mt. Battle like?"

Michael answered, "It's a large mountain in the northern part of the region. It was renovated to be the best place for Trainers to train in the Orre region. Anyway, Vander was in the middle of a rookie training session when I arrived, so I had to battle my way through a few Trainers to meet with him. He pointed me in the direction of the Shadow Pokémon Laboratory."

Hareta asked, "That's where they created the Shadow Pokémon, right?"

Michael replied, "Yeah, either by using their DNA to make a Shadow version or converting a regular Pokémon into a Shadow Pokémon. It took a little while to find the professor, since the lab was like a maze and there were Peons lying in wait everywhere, as well as a few scientists. But I made it to him, and he was unharmed. After beating Cipher Admin Lovrina and snagging her Delcatty, we headed back to the lab. After that, one thing just led to another, since I found myself going all over the region, looking for Cipher and the Shadow Pokémon they had. It all paid off, though, as I eventually made it to Citadark Isle, Cipher's base of operations. And that's where I saw them again."

Hareta asked, "Them?"

Michael nodded, "Yeah. Ardos, Eldes, and Mr. Verich, otherwise known as Greevil, the Grand Master of Cipher."

Hareta gasped, "So he was leading Cipher the whole time?"

Michael nodded again, "Yeah. Those were some really tough battles. But my Pokémon and I… We won in the end. Eldes and Greevil turned themselves over to the police, Ardos disappeared, refusing to give up on Greevil's, or rather, his father's organization, and I snagged all of their Shadow Pokémon, including XD001."

Hareta tilted his head, "XD001?"

Michael replied, "That was the codename for their ultimate Shadow Pokémon, the supposed first in a series of Shadow Pokémon that would be immune to purification. But it wasn't immune; it was purified thanks to the Purify Chamber."

Hareta asked, "Is that the Pokémon you mentioned last night?"

Michael nodded, "That's right."

Ninetales walked over to Hareta and he began to pet her, saying, "That is one heck of an adventure. So does that mean Eldes and Ardos were brothers?"

Michael nodded, "Yeah. Eldes called him 'father' at the end and Ardos told him to refer to Greevil as Grand Master. That's when I knew they were siblings."

Sneasel hopped down from Hareta's lap and began to stretch, having listened to most of Michael's tale. She then turned to Hareta and asked, "(Hareta, can we go walk around some more?)"

Hareta looked over at Michael and asked, "What do you think, Michael? Want to walk around a little more before we head back to the Pokémon Center?"

Michael smiled, "Sure, we've sat around enough, and I'm done playing storyteller for a while." With that, Empoleon climbed out of the pond while the two boys and Glaceon stood up and did a little stretching. Afterwards, they headed back into the city to see what else they could find.

Everyone met up back at the Pokémon Center later that evening, everyone having enjoyed their day off. Hareta, Typhlosion, Michael, Jun, and Mitsumi were amazed when they found out that Kotone's Croconaw had evolved into a Feraligatr. From the sound of things, it seemed that Mitsumi and Jun had gotten along fine during the Go-Rock Quads' concert. When they asked about the Viridian Gym Leader, they were as surprised as the rest of the group to learn that Blue was out of town.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Jun asked.

"The old man who told us that Blue was gone also told us about Blaine, the Cinnabar Island Gym Leader. We were thinking of going to look for him next and see if he'll take our challenge. We'll come back to Viridian to battle with Blue later," Gold explained.

"Are you sure that old man was telling the truth? Even I know that the volcano on Cinnabar Island erupted and buried most of the town there," Mitsumi said.

"He didn't sound like he was lying, Mitzi. Besides, Hareta and Gold are still two badges short of eight. We've gotta find two other Gym Leaders and they have to earn their badges before we can say our journey here is complete," Kotone replied.

Mitsumi spoke, "All right then. In that case, we'll head south to Pallet Town in the morning. We can stop in on Professor Oak and then see when the next ship to Cinnabar Island will be."

Michael said, "Cool! This whole badge collecting journey is pretty awesome, isn't it?"

Jun asked, "You mean there aren't any Gyms in Orre?"

Michael answered, "Just the Prestige Precept Center in Phenac City, or the Pre Gym for short. And the leader, Justy, certainly doesn't give out badges to challengers who win his challenge. That's part of the reason I came out to Kanto: I wanted to see how the leagues in other regions generally worked."

Gold asked, "What's the rest of the reason?"

Michael shrugged, "Eh, I kind of wanted to give my Pokémon a break from all the colosseum battles. Even that tournament in Rota wasn't as intense as a regular colosseum battle. Plus Kanto wasn't far away from Orre, considering Johto and Kanto are right next to each other."

Gold nodded, "I think I see what you mean. So are you gonna stick around for the rest of the journey, then?"

Michael smiled, "Unless I get an email telling me to come home, you bet!"

Hareta cheered, "All right! That's great, Michael!"

Gold nodded, "You said it, Hareta. Let's try to get to bed early tonight; I can't wait to see Professor Oak again!" Nobody argued with him on that point. Their journey might've been nearly complete, but they were all still ready for whatever else awaited them on their adventure!

* * *

Uh, except for having Kotone's Croconaw evolve, I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to have everyone do during their first visit to Viridian City. So I hope you guys liked it at least.

The title is based off of the motto for Viridian City in both the earlier games and HGSS.

I guess having the Go-Rock Quads get a mention here was kind of random, but I figured Mitsumi had to have other things she enjoyed aside from traveling, Super Contests, and research.

Carrie is the name of the girl from the Goldenrod Department Store in Pokémon GSC. If you did Mystery Gift with her in Pokémon Stadium 2, she would appear in Viridian City's Trainer House with one of three teams of six. The Pokémon she uses here are based off of those teams.


	63. Purity and the Ravaged Past

The day after their day off in Viridian City, Gold's group left the Pokémon Center after having breakfast and began making their way south out of the city. Before long, they came across the gate leading to Route 1 and passed through it, finding that the route was characterized by trees and rocky ledges. "So this is the first place most new Kanto Trainers have to go through?" Hareta asked as he surveyed his immediate surroundings.

"That's right, Hareta. The Pokémon that live on this route may not be some of the strongest you'll ever find, but they're still tough enough to be a challenge for new Trainers," Mitsumi said.

Gold adjusted his cap and goggles as he said, "Wonder if there are any tough Trainers hanging out around here. I mean, there must be tough Trainers who go to Pallet Town sometimes."

Kotone came up behind him and said, "I'm sure we'll find something. Now how about we get moving?" Gold nodded, as did everyone else, and they continued on their way to Pallet Town.

By the time they reached the halfway point of the route, the group had encountered a pair of School Kids, giving Gold and Jun a chance to do some battling. Shortly after saying goodbye to the second School Kid, they found a dirt path leading up a hill and began walking up it. It didn't take long for Hareta's excitement to get the better of him and he went from walking to running, wanting to see what was at the top of the hill. As Ninetales ran up after him, Mitsumi called, "Hareta, wait!"

Kotone quickened her pace until she was walking alongside Mitsumi and smiled, "Oh come on, Mitsumi! You've had the most experience with this sort of thing, so why are you always so surprised when it happens?" She then started running to catch up to Hareta and Ninetales, Gold and Michael soon following suit.

Jun walked up beside Mitsumi and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, saying, "Say, we're all alone again. Maybe we should just let them have their own fun for a little while."

Mitsumi glared at him, "I'll show you something fun if you don't move your arm! I'm not in the mood right now, Jun, so unless you want me to put a welt on your head, move it!"

Jun quickly took his arm off of her, muttering, "All right, all right. Sorry." He then broke out into a jog to catch up with Hareta and the others, Mitsumi running after him.

Hareta and Ninetales soon reached the top of the hill and were amazed at what they saw. "Wow!" Hareta breathed at the sight. From up on the hill, they could see Pallet Town and its various fields and dirt roads in the distance.

Kotone, Gold, and Michael soon came up beside the two and were also amazed at the sight of Pallet Town. "Look at how much space there is between all the houses there. There's plenty of room for trees and plants to grow," Michael said.

Hareta inhaled the air and sighed, "Man, the air here is so delicious. It reminds me of home."

Gold grinned, "From here, I can see why that would be. Pallet Town looks like a regular green town. Hardly, if any, pollution, and they have windmills to generate their electricity."

Kotone nodded, "Yeah, kind of like New Bark Town. Pallet Town is totally clean, exactly like a real pallet should be."

Jun soon made it to the top as well, Mitsumi a short distance behind him, and, when he saw Pallet Town, said, "Whoa, so that's Pallet Town! It looks a lot different from Twinleaf Town, and I like it! It's the perfect place for people to grow up in and for someone like Professor Oak to do his research!"

Mitsumi looked too and said, "I'm… a little surprised at how little has changed since Professor Rowan and I were here. It looks very much the same now as it was back then."

Michael turned to her and said, "That's probably the way they like it though, Mitsumi. The people here are probably happy with their lives and don't want to see anything that could have severe consequences happen to the town."

Kotone smiled at him, "Well said, Mick!" After enjoying the view for a few more moments, they resumed walking, still having a little ways to go before they actually made it to Pallet Town. Along the way, Hareta and Kotone were each challenged to a battle by a pair of Ace Trainers, both of them emerging victorious.

Not long afterwards, the group entered Pallet Town, following the dirt path they were on. As they were walking, they came across a two story house that had a red roof and a white fence around the yard. Glancing at the mailbox near the fence, Kotone noticed one of the names on it and said, "Hey, this is Red's house!"

Everyone stopped at that and looked up at the house, Gold saying, "So this is where Red of Pallet Town lives. The guy who almost singlehandedly defeated Team Rocket and became champion of the Indigo League three years ago…"

Suddenly, they heard a voice from the side of the house say, "Excuse me?" They turned to look and saw a young woman with brown hair, a red dress, light brown shoes, a green apron, and a straw hat crouched down near a vegetable garden. Seeing that they knew she was there, she said, "Hi there! Are you friends of my son, Red?"

Mitsumi spoke up first, "No, sorry miss. We were just passing through when we noticed that this was where he lived."

Red's mom stood up and came over, saying, "I understand, dear. And there's nothing to be sorry about. Red used to get so many people coming over to ask for challenges that it got hard to tell who was coming over for what. Oh?" She noticed Ninetales as well as Minun, who was sitting on Hareta's head, Pikachu, who was on Gold's shoulder, and Glaceon, who was standing next to Michael. She then said, "I see now. You're traveling Trainers as well, aren't you?"

Jun nodded, "Yeah, we've been traveling together. Does your son travel with anyone while he's away?"

Red's mother thought a moment before saying, "When he first set out, he used to run into a local girl he knew from when he was little named Amanda. They didn't travel together, but they ended up running into each other at times. He was also good friends with Misty and Brock, the Gym Leaders of Cerulean City and Pewter City respectively, but that's about it. Nowadays, I don't know what he's up to."

Hareta asked, "You mean you haven't seen him for a while?"

Red's mom nodded, "Yes, I'm afraid. He's been away pretty much since the end of the tournament three years ago. He hasn't tried to call me either, so I have no idea where he is or what he's been doing. They say no news is good news, but I do worry about him. Still, I'm glad he's doing what he wants to do." She then asked, "So where are all of you headed?"

Gold said, "We wanted to pay Professor Oak a visit. Can you tell us how to get to his lab?"

Red's mother nodded, "Certainly." She pointed down the road as she said, "Just keep following the road until you reach the first split in the path. Take the right path, follow it, and then turn left. It'll go straight to Professor Oak's Laboratory."

Kotone bowed and said, "Thank you, ma'am!"

Red's mom smiled, "Oh, it's no problem at all! It's nice to meet some new people every now and then. If you ever come back to Pallet Town, feel free to stop by. Take care!" Everyone nodded then waved to her as they continued down the path.

Following the directions they were given, they soon found the lab. Going behind the fence in front, they came to the front door and Mitsumi, while keeping a hand on Hareta's jacket as if to restrain him, rang the doorbell. The door soon opened partway and a man wearing a lab coat and a pair of glasses poked out from behind it. "Yes? Can I help you?" he asked.

Gold spoke, "Hey. Can we see Professor Oak?"

Kotone added as she pulled out her Pokédex, "He gave both of us the newest model of his Pokédex and asked us to work on it for him."

The man replied, "Oh! Then you two must be Gold and Kotone! The professor just got back a little while ago, but I don't think he'll mind if it's you and your friends. Come in!" He then opened the door all the way, allowing everyone to enter, and then led them through the lab.

Gold looked around as the aide showed them the way. "Professor Oak sure has a big lab. Kind of like Professor Elm's lab, since his family lives on the second floor."

The aide nodded, "Absolutely. The professor added living accommodations to the lab so that, in case he got wrapped up in his studies, he would be able to have a couch or a bed to use without needing to walk all the way home." He soon stopped in front of a door and spoke, "Professor, are you in there?"

Professor Oak's voice came through the other side of the door, "Yes. What is it?"

The aide answered, "Gold, Kotone, and their friends have come by to visit. Can they come in?"

The professor responded, "Yes, please send them in!" The aide reached for the doorknob and opened the door for the group, Gold going in first, followed by the rest of the group. Professor Oak was sitting on a comfy couch in what appeared to be a relaxation room, with another couch and a table nearby. He stood up and said, "Ah, Gold, Kotone, Hareta! I didn't know you were here in Kanto!"

Gold nodded, "Yeah, we came here with our friends shortly after the Silver Conference. Hareta and I are trying to win all the badges here!"

Professor Oak nodded, "I see." He then noticed Mitsumi in the group and said, "You… If I remember right, your name is Mitsumi, correct?"

The green haired girl smiled, "That's right, Professor Oak. It's good to see you again. How is Amanda doing? Last time I saw her was at the Silver Conference."

Professor Oak replied, "She came back to visit her parents about a week ago, but she left just two days ago." He then looked at Jun and Michael and asked, "Who might you two be?"

Jun grinned, "My name's Jun, Professor Oak! I'm very interested in mysteries; I'm also Hareta's number one rival and Mitsumi's boyfriend!" Mitsumi shot him a glare over her shoulder while Hareta didn't seem to mind what Jun said.

Michael spoke, "I'm Michael, and I'm from the Orre region."

Professor Oak asked, "Orre…? Wait! That means you must be the Michael I've heard about from Professor Krane and Lily!"

Michael asked, "You know my mom and the professor?"

Professor Oak replied, "Absolutely. I'm well-acquainted with many of the regional professors, and that includes Professor Rowan, Professor Elm, Professor Birch, and Professor Juniper."

Mitsumi muttered to herself, "I don't believe I'm familiar with a Professor Juniper…"

Suddenly, a door near the back of the room opened and a girl with dark brown hair wearing a lab coat peeked out, saying, "Professor, your tea is almost ready. Oh?" She noticed the group with the professor and said, "I didn't know we had guests."

Professor Oak turned to her and smiled, "It's all right, Daisy. Our young friends just got here to be honest. Do you suppose they can have some tea as well?"

Daisy nodded, "Of course. I'll get some extra cups." She then left the room, closing the door as she went.

Professor Oak turned back to the group and said, "That's my granddaughter, Daisy. I've been taking care of her and her brother since their parents were taken in a terrible car accident…"

Mitsumi said, "I remember her. She was a real champion Coordinator some years back. She really helped me learn more about becoming a great coordinator and dealing with my past."

Professor Oak nodded, "Yes, I remember you used to spend a lot of time with her when Professor Rowan didn't need your help. But please, everyone, feel free to sit down." Everyone thanked him and moved to sit down, Jun and Mitsumi sitting on the same couch as Professor Oak while Gold, Kotone, Michael, and Hareta sat on the other couch. Ninetales walked over to the end where Hareta was sitting and sat on the ground next to him. Professor Oak noticed this and said, "What a fine Ninetales. A friend of yours, Hareta?"

Hareta nodded, 'Yeah! She's not mine, but we're still great friends!"

Professor Oak nodded, then he noticed her back left leg and asked, "How did she get that scar on her leg?"

Hareta replied, "I know it's from before we met her. I think she got it a while ago."

Professor Oak said, "Yes, it does have that look to it."

Soon, Daisy came back into the room, carrying a tray with a teapot and some cups on it. "Here you are everyone. I hope everyone likes white tea. I was originally going to make some black tea, but the leaves weren't fully grown yet," she said. She then poured everyone a cup, setting aside a cup for herself and Ninetales. She then pulled a pink ottoman up to the end of the table and sat down on it.

After taking a sip of his tea, Professor Oak asked, "So you've been traveling around Kanto while collecting the Gym badges, eh? What do you think of the Trainers out here?"

Kotone said, "They can be pretty tough, that's for sure!"

Daisy ventured, "How many badges from Kanto do you have?"

Gold replied, "Hareta and I have six so far. We might've had seven, but the Viridian City Gym Leader was out when we were there yesterday."

At this, Professor Oak groaned, "Oh, sometimes that grandson of mine…"

Mitsumi said, "That's right, now I remember. Blue is your grandson, right?"

Before anyone else could say anything, Hareta began to groan through his lips, his face a bit red. He drank his tea a little too fast and it was catching up with him. Ninetales giggled as he began to settle down before using a tail to pick up her own tea, taking a sniff of it before drinking it slowly.

After seeing that he calmed down, Daisy turned to Gold and said, "We've heard from a lot of Trainers about how my brother frequently leaves his Gym as well. Still, he has shown to be a strong Gym Leader. As far as we know, no challenger has ever won against him. Although it's no excuse, perhaps he gets bored with not having any good challengers."

Jun held a hand to his chin, "Hmm, that kind of sounds like how Volkner, Sunyshore City's Gym Leader, used to be like before Hareta and I battled him and won. Maybe Blue just needs someone to kick his butt to set him straight as a Gym Leader!"

Mitsumi turned to him and said, "Maybe so, but that would require knowing where he is. He could be anywhere in Kanto for all we know."

Professor Oak sighed, "Ah well, I suppose he'll return to the Gym eventually. Three years and he really hasn't changed all that much."

Daisy turned to him and said, "I'm sure he'll change sooner or later, grandfather." She then turned back to the group and asked, "So where were you headed next?"

Gold said, "We were planning to go to Cinnabar Island. We heard about Gym Leader Blaine and were hoping that we could challenge him to a battle in the meantime."

Professor Oak spoke, "Cinnabar Island? Hmm… I don't know if the Gym will still be there, but I'm sure that Blaine is definitely still around. You just might have to do a little searching to find him, though."

After spending some more time talking, the group decided that it was time to move on and find a ship to take them out to Cinnabar Island. Professor Oak and Daisy came with them down to the port area south of the lab. Fortunately, they happened to find a ship that would be leaving for the island in a short while. Before they left, Professor Oak told them to pay him a visit again before they left, after Hareta and Gold managed to earn eight Kanto badges.

After the ship left Pallet Town and had been out on the ocean for a little while, everyone had settled themselves in aboard the ship. It would be a few hours before they reached Cinnabar Island, after all; there was really no reason for them to just sit around. Gold, Kotone, Michael, and their Pokémon were hanging out in the recreation room below deck. Gold, Meganium, and Buizel were checking out the pool tables, Kotone, Gardevoir, Cubone, and Togekiss were near the dining area, and Michael, Glaceon, Zangoose, and Flygon were in one of the corners, where there were TVs and Wiis set up.

The rest of the group, meanwhile, was hanging around either on the upper or outside decks. Jun was near the back of the ship, spying on the girls who were tanning from a distance, while Hareta was near the front of the ship with Lucario, Sceptile, and Minun. Lucario and Sceptile were having a friendly sparring session while Hareta and Minun watched from near the railing, switching between watching the two and looking out over the water.

During one of the moments where Hareta and Minun were looking out over the water, they heard the sound of footsteps coming from their right and turned to look. They saw that it was Ninetales, the Fox Pokémon currently assuming her human illusion. Hareta smiled, "Hey Ninetales. What's up?"

Ninetales smiled back, "Nothing much. I was just wondering if you'd mind my company."

Hareta replied, "No way. That's cool with us. Right, Minun?"

The Cheering Pokémon nodded, "(You bet! That's totally fine, Ninetales!)" Ninetales came over to stand next to the two at that, leaning against the railing as she too looked out over the water.

Mitsumi, meanwhile, was trying to find Hareta. She initially hoped that he was with Gold or Michael, suspecting that one or the other would be enough to keep him out of trouble. Thus she was dismayed to find that neither of them knew where he was, as that usually meant he was getting into trouble. Stepping out onto the outside deck, she soon found the boy with a girl with brownish-black hair wearing dark blue fingerless gloves, a light blue sleeveless shirt, white shorts, and blue boots with navy blue socks. She headed towards them, calling, "Hareta! There you are!"

Hareta, his Pokémon, and Ninetales turned around to face her, Hareta saying, "Oh! Hey Mitsumi!"

Mitsumi came over to him and Ninetales, at which point she said, "I finally found you, and I didn't have to follow any screams or other loud noises to do so." Hareta just smiled, not really getting what Mitsumi was all worked up about. Shaking her head, Mitsumi remembered the other girl she had seen and turned to her while asking Hareta, "Who's this?"

Hareta replied, "Her name's Ammy! You know her, right?"

Mitsumi scanned the girl before saying, "No, I've never seen her before."

Ninetales spoke up, "Really? Well, that's all right. After all, you know me now."

Mitsumi nodded, "True. It's nice to meet you. Listen, I hate to ask, but can you keep Hareta out of trouble for me? I think I saw one of my other friends looking at the girls that were tanning." She then walked away, heading for the rear of the ship.

Hareta turned to Ninetales and asked, "Why didn't you tell her?"

Ninetales turned to him and answered, "She's an interesting one. I have a feeling that if I showed her, she'd freak out more than a normal human would. That would also be a good reason not to show her your Aura abilities unless it's absolutely necessary."

Hareta cocked his head at this, "You don't think she'd take it well?"

Ninetales shrugged, "That's just the feeling I get. Maybe it would turn out different in practice, but at this point in time, I don't think there's really any need to find out for sure."

Hareta said, "All right, if you say so." He then turned to look back at Sceptile and Lucario while Ninetales turned to look in the direction she had seen Mitsumi heading.

After a few hours, the ship made it to Cinnabar Island, stopping at a makeshift dock near the Pokémon Center. According to the ship's captain, they would be setting sail for the Seafoam Islands in a short while, so they, along with the rest of the passengers, were advised to take care of any business they had on Cinnabar Island quickly so they wouldn't be left behind. The group quickly shuffled off of the ship down onto the dock, Ninetales now back in her natural form.

After getting off the dock, they found that, aside from the Pokémon Center, there appeared to be no buildings on the island at all. All they could see were a few scattered boulders and a large mountain which the Pokémon Center was nestled against. "Man, they weren't kidding about what happened to Cinnabar Island. It's almost hard to believe that there was ever a whole town here," Gold said.

Kotone agreed, "Yeah. That volcano really did a number here, didn't it?"

An unfamiliar voice spoke, "That's right." Everyone turned to look, finding that the owner was a boy who looked to be about fourteen years old. He was wearing a black jacket over a white shirt, brown pants with a black belt and two pockets above the knees, and brown shoes. He had orange-brown hair, similarly colored eyes, and what appeared to be a white pendent around his neck.

Mitsumi immediately asked, "Who are you?"

The boy replied, "That's the question I have for you, girl." Before she could respond, he shook his head and said, "My name's Blue. I almost became the Kanto Champion three years ago. Didn't manage to do it, thank to Red…" After seeming to mull over it for a moment, he turned to look up at the mountain behind him and said, "A volcano erupts, and just like that, a whole town disappears. We can go on winning and losing in Pokémon, but if nature so much as twitches, we can be overwhelmed in a second… That's the way it is…"

Michael asked, "Did you come here to see how bad the destruction is?"

Blue turned back to the group and nodded, "That's right. But at any rate, I'm still a Trainer. If I see a strong opponent, it makes me want to battle."

Gold asked, "So would you mind battling me and Hareta then?" He gestured to Hareta as he spoke.

Blue looked at them both before saying, "If either of you want to battle me, for real, then I need to know how many Kanto badges you both have." When they both told him, he said, "Six… Neither of you are ready to face me yet."

Gold demanded, "And what make you say that?"

Blue replied, "Gym Leaders are allowed to refuse challenge requests if they feel that a challenger doesn't have enough experience yet. If you can get at least seven badges, I'll reconsider."

Jun asked, "What about all the other Trainers who come to challenge you? Did you just leave your Gym because they aren't worthy to challenge you either?"

Blue replied, "Just because I'm a Gym Leader doesn't mean I can't have my own reasons for doing something." Before Jun could respond to that, Blue continued, "But I guess you're right. I have been away from my Gym for too long." He pulled out a Poké Ball and sent out his Pidgeot from it. He climbed onto its back, saying, "I'll be waiting for you two back at the Viridian Gym, but don't even think about coming back without at least one more badge." With that, his Pidgeot took off, heading north for Viridian City.

Kotone sighed, "Boy, he's got quite the attitude, doesn't he?"

Mitsumi nodded, "I would have to say that's about right."

Suddenly, they heard the captain's voice over one of the ship's loudspeakers, "Attention all passengers. We will be leaving for the Seafoam Islands in five minutes. Please finish up whatever business you have left and return to the ship immediately."

Jun said, "Guess we'd better get back to the boat."

Michael spoke, "You guy go on ahead. I'm going to stop by the Pokémon Center and switch out a few Pokémon, but I'll be right behind you." He then started heading for the Pokémon Center while everyone else headed back towards the dock and the ship.

**Meanwhile…**

A figure dressed in blue robes, black boots, a black cloak with the hood up, and black gloves walked through a cavern, its footsteps the only sound that could be heard. Around it were walls that seemed to be covered with ice and small island-like patches of land with water underneath them. The figure walked as if it had a destination in mind, like it was being guided by something.

Eventually, the figure stopped, looking at something in the distance. It appeared to be the silhouette of large, blue wings. The figure pulled something out of its cloak, muttering, "The time has come to put this to the test…"

* * *

The appearance of both Pallet Town and Professor Oak's lab are based off of how they appear in both the anime and manga.

Professor Oak's talk about taking care of Daisy and Blue since their parents died comes from the "Pokémon Zensho" manga, where he tells Satoshi the same thing about Daisy and Shigeru.

Some references and foreshadowing here. Any guesses?

Music:

On the Way to Pallet Town - Route 1 (Pokémon HGSS)

Arrival - Pallet Town (Pokémon HGSS)

Professor Oak's Lab - Research Lab (Pokémon DPPt)

Out on the Sea Again - Spira Unplugged (Final Fantasy X)

Ravaged Town of the Past - Cinnabar Island (Pokémon HGSS)

Moving On/A New Plot? - Theme of Solid Snake (Integral Version) (Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake)


	64. Free From the Gale

Hareta was sitting on the bed in his cabin with Empoleon, Minun, Sneasel, and Ninetales. They were watching TV when they heard someone knocking on the door. The boy glanced over at the door before looking back at the TV screen, the outro of the show the five of them were watching displaying four guys and a slimy green ghost dancing through the streets of a city. He called, "Hang on! I'll be right there!" A couple seconds later, the ending was done playing and Hareta slid off the bed and opened the door. He smiled at the girl on the other side, "Good morning, Mitsumi! What's up?"

The green-haired girl replied, "Well, evidently you are." She peeked inside his cabin and noticed the TV, asking, "What were you watching? I thought you'd be down at the breakfast buffet."

Hareta said, "I think it was an old cartoon. I really liked it! And the buffet wasn't open when I went down there earlier, so I was just doing something else to pass the time."

Mitsumi smiled, "Well, that's good to hear. Anyway, it's open now, and we should be arriving at the Seafoam Islands in a while. So make you've got everything together, okay?" After Hareta nodded, she let him be and headed down to the ship's restaurant.

Hareta shut the door and walked back over to the bed, sitting down on the side and sliding his shoes on. Once he was done putting on his jacket, hat, and scarf, he turned to his friends and asked, "Ready to eat, guys?" Both Minun and Sneasel chirped happily while Empoleon and Ninetales nodded with a smile. Hareta smiled back and went to open the door to the cabin, holding it open for them. He then shut it and they all headed down to the restaurant together.

A few hours later, Michael, Kotone, and Hareta were up near the front of the ship, each of them enjoying the warm weather along with their Pokémon. Michael was standing near one of the guardrails, alternating between keeping an eye on his Lapras, who had his Glaceon and Zangoose on its back, and watching his Swellow and Gligar fly around in the sky above him. Hareta and Kotone were together with Ninetales, playing with Kotone's Torchic and Eevee and Hareta's Minun and Sneasel. It was a perfect day, considering where they were headed. If they were lucky, they might get a chance to properly enjoy the weather once they reached the Seafoam Islands.

A voice was suddenly heard over the loudspeakers, "Attention all passengers. We will be arriving at our destination, the Seafoam Islands, shortly. Please make sure you have all of your belongings before you disembark, as there will be no going back to your cabins after you have left the ship."

Hareta stood up and looked towards the front of the ship, finding he was able to see the two islands in the distance. "Wow! We really are almost there!" he exclaimed.

Kotone stood up as well, saying, "We'd better get back to our cabins and grab our things. It wouldn't be good if we ended up being the ones holding up everyone else!"

Suddenly Gold spoke up from behind her, "Actually, it would probably be pretty funny to see how Mitsumi would react to that!" Kotone, Hareta, and their Pokémon turned to look at him, noticing that he'd already grabbed his bag from his cabin.

Kotone smiled at him, "You think so? What do you think she'd do?"

Gold grinned, "Probably get really angry and have something to say about it for ten whole minutes. You'd probably get a kick out of that, Kotone." They both laughed for a minute before Gold said, "Anyway, I guess you both had better run down and get your things. We're gonna have a lot of searching to do if we're gonna find this Blaine!"

Kotone nodded, "You're right." She then turned to Hareta and the Pokémon, saying, "Come on, we'd better get our bags." Hareta nodded and followed her to the nearest door leading inside the ship, all of the Pokémon except Ninetales following them.

Gold turned back to Ninetales and asked, "So what do you think of the weather? Pretty good, huh?"

Ninetales nodded, "Yes, it's wonderful. Very relaxing."

Gold leaned against the wall and said, "You know, I saw you and Sneasel during the ball at Rota. I'm just curious, how did you two do that? Was it some kind of magic?"

Ninetales replied, "No, not quite. It was just a shape shifting technique that takes some practice to perfect. It took me a while to get as good as I am with it, but it did help me learn to control my own magic after I evolved."

Gold nodded, "I see." He then asked, "Do you ever take on that form for fun? You know, just for a change of pace?"

Ninetales answered, "I do sometimes when I'm either alone or I go to visit my clan. Doing it around a place like this would no doubt be a mistake."

Gold turned to look at her as he asked, "You think someone would want to capture you and study you, huh?"

Ninetales looked at him, a slight playfulness hidden in her eyes as she said, "Actually, I'm afraid that I'd capture the attention of every male within about 50 feet, human or Pokémon."

Gold didn't really know what to say to that, which slightly disappointed Ninetales. He eventually managed to say, "I guess I'll take your word for it. Does that mean you've already got someone?"

Ninetales looked towards the water as she smiled, "Not yet, but I do have my eyes on someone. Someone special…"

Gold raised an eyebrow at that, "Someone special? Who? Is it someone I know?"

Ninetales looked over at him and said, "Oh, you know him. I'm just not going to tell you who it is."

Gold looked at her a moment before saying, "Uh, okay then." He then noticed that Michael was coming over with his Glaceon by his side. The red-haired Trainer always carried his hip bag with him whenever he was on a journey, so that meant he didn't have anything to go back to his cabin for. Gold went over to talk to Michael, leaving Ninetales alone with her thoughts for the moment.

A short while later, the ship reached the port at the Seafoam Islands and all the passengers got off, many of them tourists looking to spend time at the tropical resort town on the two islands. Gold and his friends were probably the only ones on the ship who came with something other than relaxing on their minds. They wandered around the town for a while, but found nothing indicating that there was a Pokémon Gym anywhere. They eventually stopped to rest on a group of benches. As they sat there, Jun sighed, "Nothing. Nobody here knows anything about a Gym being here."

Mitsumi said, "Maybe Blaine got sick of dealing with nothing but tourists and decided to move elsewhere. I don't think there's anything here that Trainers who are serious about competing would want to come out here for anyway."

Suddenly, an old man carrying a brown cane that resembled a question mark came over near the group. He was wearing a white hat, black sunglasses, a red long-sleeve shirt under a white vest, brown pants, and black shoes. He had a white mustache, which seemed to be the only hair he had on his head. He spoke, "Actually, there is something here that's worth any Trainer's time."

Hareta asked, "Yeah? What's that?"

The man replied, "The answer is a riddle. What's a place that everyone thinks is really cold, but a real adventurer thinks is really cool?"

Gold thought hard for a moment before saying, "I have no idea…"

After a moment, Kotone leaned over to Ninetales and whispered something in her ear. The fox replied with a nod, so Kotone turned to the man and asked, "Is it an ice cave?"

The man held up a finger as he said, "That's right! You see, although the resort town here on the Seafoam Islands is considered to be the main attraction, the real main attraction is the icy caves underneath the islands. It's a real maze down there, but there are lots of Pokémon that are hard to find elsewhere. Some even say that a Legendary Pokémon lives in the deepest depths of the caves. Of course, none of the brochures that are sold ever mention anything about the caves. So there are always going to be a lot of tourists coming here, but is that really a reason for a Gym Leader not to set up a Gym here, even a temporary one?"

Michael asked, "So there is a Gym here? No one here seems to know about it or that it's being run by Blaine, the Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island."

The old man answered, "Oh, Blaine is here, all right. He's not someone who will give up just because a volcano destroyed his Gym. He merely had to relocate it here for the time being."

Gold asked, "Do you know where it is?"

The old man nodded, "Oh yes. You really want to know where it is?" When everyone nodded, he smiled, "Blaine's Gym is in a place that's popular for spelunking."

Mitsumi groaned, "Another riddle?"

Hareta asked, "What's spelunking? Is that anything like fishing?"

Kotone turned to him and said, "Not quite, Hareta. If you enjoy spelunking, then you enjoy exploring caves." She stopped, realizing what she just said, then turned to the old man and asked, "In a cave?"

The old man replied, "Right again! If you want to challenge Blaine, then you have to go into the ice caves."

Gold groaned, "But you said that they stretch under the Seafoam Islands. That means it could take a long time to find this Blaine guy!"

The man held up a hand as he said, "Relax, my friend. I'll tell you right now that the entrance to Blaine's Gym is very close to one of the cave entrances. In fact, it's not all that far away." He pointed towards the mountainous region behind the resort town and said, "That entrance is on this island. There aren't a lot of entrances, so it should be easy to find so long as you don't get turned around."

Gold said, "Really? Thanks, mister!" He then turned to the rest of the group and said, "Let's head there now, guys! The sooner we find Blaine, the sooner Hareta and I can battle him!"

Everyone seemed to agree with this plan except Mitsumi, who said, "This all seems a little too convenient." She turned to face the old man and asked, "How do you know all this, anyway?" But she received no answer, as the old man had seemingly disappeared during the time that they had their eyes turned away from him…

Although they all agreed that there was plenty of reason to be suspicious of the old man's information, everyone decided that, since they had nothing else to go on, they might as well go search the ice caves for Blaine. Making their way out of the resort town, they headed north to the mountainous region, passing through the forest at the foot of the mountains. As they walked amongst the trees, they noticed that temperature was beginning to drop, despite the fact that the sun was still shining brightly. They figured that this had to be because they were walking over the ice caves, so they continued onward. They soon found a slope they could walk up and were partway up when…

_BOOM!_

A loud explosion sounded somewhere far away up on the mountain. Even as far away as it was, it was loud and it made everyone in the group jump. Everyone looked around nervously, Jun asking, "Geez, what was that?"

As they looked around, Kotone spotted something flying out of a cloud of dust in the distance and pointed towards it, saying, "Look! Over there!"

Everyone looked in the direction she was pointing, seeing a large bird with bright blue wings emerge from the dust. Both Hareta and Gold's eyes widened at this sight, Gold saying, "No way! Is that…?" Unsure, he pulled out his Pokédex and opened it, pointing it in the direction of the bird.

"Articuno, the Freeze Pokémon. This Legendary Pokémon lives deep within mountain ranges and can create blizzards by freezing moisture in the air," the Pokédex's voice said.

Hareta looked back at the bird and wondered, "Could it be the same Articuno we battled in Violet City?" He then noticed something about the bird and asked, "Hey, maybe it's just me, but do you guys think that something… seems a little off about Articuno?"

Michael stepped up beside him, activating his Aura Reader as he said, "Maybe I can get a closer look at it." The eyepiece slid over his left eye and he focused it on Articuno, the Reader attempting to scan it. Because of the long gap between them, it was having trouble getting a good lock on the bird. A scan wasn't necessary, though, as Articuno was soon flying over the beach, where it quickly and suddenly fired an Ice Beam at the sand below!

"Whoa! What's Articuno doing?" Gold exclaimed.

"There's definitely something wrong with it. Let's get down to that beach immediately; at the very least, we should try to help the people down there!" Everyone nodded and began running back down the slope, following the path they took to get back to the town.

The sight of Articuno attacking had thrown the town into a panic; by the time the group reached the beach, a miniature ice sheet was already beginning to form on the beach from Articuno's attacks. Thankfully, no one had been frozen inside of the ice, but a few unfortunate people either had their arms or legs caught in some of the smaller patches. Seeing this, Mitsumi sent out her Infernape to help them. Hareta, Ninetales, and Kotone joined in as well, with Hareta sending out Typhlosion and Kotone calling on her Cubone.

While they were helping people get free of the ice, a wind suddenly blew past the group and they turned to look. Flapping its wings up a fair distance above them was Articuno. Now that they were closer, they could see that something was indeed wrong with the bird: the scleras of its eyes were a bright red color instead of white. They didn't get much time to look, as the Freeze Pokémon fired an Ice Beam at the group. They all dove out of the way, barely managing to avoid getting frozen.

As he pushed himself off the ground, Hareta said, "I don't get it… What happened to Articuno? Why is it acting like this?"

Mitsumi overheard him and said, "I don't know, but the time for subtlety is past. We're going to have to battle Articuno and stop its rampage." She then turned to him and sternly said, "And THIS time, no suddenly changing sides, got it?"

Although he grinned weakly, Hareta replied, "I didn't change sides, Mitsumi. I just wanted to get to know Giratina better." Their conversation was cut short by Articuno, who fired an Ice Shard at them. Ninetales, Infernape, and Typhlosion immediately went to their side and used Flamethrower together, melting the ball of ice before it could get close to them. After both he and Mitsumi thanked them, Hareta sent out his Regigigas and Alakazam to battle Articuno.

Michael gasped, "Whoa, I didn't know Hareta had a Regigigas on his team!"

Gold grinned, "He sure does! It should be more than a match for Articuno!"

Hareta began by calling for Alakazam to use Skill Swap on Regigigas, thus allowing the Colossal Pokémon to unleash its full power. Now no longer being hindered by its Slow Start ability, Regigigas ran towards Articuno, bringing its arm back once it was in range and swinging it forward in a Mega Punch. But all it hit was thin air; in the state it was in, Articuno was faster and more flexible with its movements. It easily dodged the punch by flying out of the way and then launched an Ice Beam at Regigigas. The Colossal Pokémon managed to shield itself with its left arm, which became covered with a thick layer of ice.

As Regigigas broke the layer of ice off, Kotone gasped, "Oh no! Maybe Regigigas isn't enough to stop Articuno!"

Gold growled, "Then let's help them out!" He then sent out his Pikachu and Pidgeot, Pikachu climbing onto Pidgeot's back as it took to the air. Mitsumi also called out her Dusknoir while Hareta sent out Empoleon and Luxray to help out Regigigas and Alakazam, the Slow Start on Alakazam having worn off.

While Pidgeot flew up to Articuno's height, Dusknoir covered it by using Will-O-Wisp, the yellow markings on its body glowing and two blue fireballs forming in its outstretched hands, which it fired at the Freeze Pokémon. Unfazed, Articuno released a Mist attack from its mouth, the thick white cloud being enough to snuff out the fireballs. As it began to spread, Hareta called for Empoleon to use Defog, the push of air resulting from the sweep of the Emperor Pokémon's wing splitting the cloud in two.

Once Articuno was visible, Alakazam used Miracle Eye to reduce Articuno's evasiveness and followed up with Disable, throwing her spoons up into the air and crossing them. The spoons began to glow red and then launched a red shock at Articuno. The shock surrounded it and, although it was able to flap its wings to stay airborne, was rendered unable to move. Pidgeot took this chance and shot at Articuno in a Quick Attack, hitting it from the side in a streak of white. The attack didn't seem to do much to it and the effects of Alakazam's Disable soon wore off.

Turning around to face the Bird Pokémon, Articuno began flapping its wings, launching a Blizzard attack at Pidgeot and Pikachu. Panicking at the size of the attack, Gold quickly called for a Mirror Move, Pidgeot creating a reflective wave in front of it and Pikachu at the call. The wave sent the Blizzard right back at Articuno, but it easily flew up out of the path of the attack. While Articuno was ascending, Pikachu leapt high up into the air, getting above it, and launching a Thunder attack straight down at it while Luxray did the same from down on the ground. But just like with the Blizzard, it took hardly any effort on Articuno's part to dodge both attacks.

The battle continued like this for a while; although the Pokémon occasionally got a lucky hit in, Articuno continued standing strong. Even the brief addition of Jun's Dragonite didn't do much to turn things around. At this point, Mitsumi growled, "Argh! If only we could get Articuno to stop moving long enough to deliver one big attack, we might be able to stop it!"

Michael spoke up, "Well, I think we can help with that. The kid's gloves are coming off now!"

Jun turned to look at him, confused what he meant by that, but he soon got his answer when he saw what Michael had in his hand. "The Master Ball! Your sixth Pokémon…?" he asked.

Michael nodded, "That's right. Our best chance of getting Articuno to calm down is with the aid of a Pokémon that's as strong as Regigigas, but can stay on Articuno like Pidgeot." He called to everyone, "Have your Pokémon get back! Unless things get bad, we should be able to handle this!" Although they were worried about Michael getting hurt, Hareta, Mitsumi, Jun, Gold, and Kotone nodded, Ninetales and the other Pokémon coming back near them while Michael stepped forward with his Master Ball. Hardening his gaze, he threw the Master Ball, saying, "Let the guardian of the seas take flight!"

The Master Ball opened, a bright light being released upwards that began to get bigger as the Pokémon within materialized. The light soon faded, revealing that the Pokémon was a large pale silver-white bird with a blue underside, a long neck, and a beak-like ridged mouth. Upon seeing it, Kotone gasped, "That's… a Lugia!"

Mitsumi exclaimed, "The Pokémon sometimes referred to as the beast of the sea? That's Michael's sixth Pokémon?"

Hareta said, "So that's the former XD001 he was talking about! The first and only Shadow Pokémon that supposedly couldn't be purified!"

Jun turned to him and asked, "How do you know that?"

Hareta said, "Michael talked about it when we were in Viridian City. You know, when you were with Mitsumi and Gold and Kotone were at the Trainer House." He then turned back to watch, as did the rest of the group.

During all this, Michael and Glaceon climbed onto Lugia's back when it landed, who then took them up with it to Articuno's level. Unfazed, Articuno fired an Ice Beam at Lugia, who retaliated with Extrasensory, unleashing a rainbow-colored beam from its mouth. The Psychic-type attack not only stopped the Ice Beam, but it also broke through and hit Articuno in the chest.

Growling, Articuno turned and flew in the direction of the mountains, Lugia following after it. When it was above the forest, Articuno performed a somersault and, as it came back down, used AncientPower, launching a silver energy ball at Lugia, who fought back with Hydro Pump. The stream of water destroyed the silver ball, but Articuno got out of its path afterwards. It then launched an Ice Shard at Lugia, the Diving Pokémon fighting back with Dragon Rush. A light blue orb with white streaks surrounded its body as it flew forwards, smashing through the Ice Shard and then slamming into Articuno.

More irritated than ever with Michael and Lugia, Articuno pulled back and unleashed a Blizzard attack on them. Michael called for Lugia to use FeatherDance, the large bird spreading its wings at his call. The wings began to glow white and it then fired glowing white feathers into Articuno's Blizzard. The feathers froze when they came into contact with the Blizzard, but they weren't knocked off course. As a result, Articuno was bombarded with a hailstorm of frozen feathers.

Recovering from the attack, Articuno flew back towards the beach with Lugia in hot pursuit. It came to a stop over the shallow waters and once again turned around to face Lugia. It then took a deep breath, sucking in bright energy from all around it, and then fired a powerful beam of energy out of its mouth, a Sheer Cold attack!

Fortunately, Lugia was much more maneuverable than its size might've suggested. While generating a Safeguard, which formed a green barrier around it, it performed a Canopy Roll as it flew forward, just narrowly avoiding the one-hit KO attack. While Articuno recovered, Lugia used Aeroblast, unleashing a concentrated, vortex-like stream from its mouth. Articuno just barely managed to remain airborne after that attack, so Michael called for his Lugia's special move: Psycho Boost! It created a multi-colored ball of energy in its mouth and fired it at Articuno, the ball exploding when it hit the Freeze Pokémon. As the resulting smoke cleared, Articuno was sent flying in the direction of the deeper water. Thankfully, it skipped across the water for a bit, thus reducing the impact with the water's surface. It didn't go too far, as even though it was lying on is side somewhat, it didn't sink beneath the water's surface.

**A short while later…**

Lugia carried Articuno back to shore, where Hareta and the others treated its injuries while it was unconscious. When it woke back up, according to Hareta, it had no memory of going on a rampage or battling the group. It was grateful that they were willing to help it, both for stopping it and healing its injuries. After it said its thanks, it bid them farewell and flew back to its home in the ice caves.

While they were watching it fly away, the old man from before approached them and said, "Now that was some battle. I'm thoroughly impressed." He looked up at Michael's Lugia and said, "I can see that there's a real bond between you and your Lugia, Michael. And the rest of your Pokémon, even though they weren't able to do much against Articuno, were all really strong!"

Mitsumi spoke up, "Now hold on! What do you mean when you say you're impressed? And why'd you just disappear after telling us about Blaine? Did you arrange for all this to happen?"

The old man looked at her, seemingly startled, then smiled, "Of course not. I've got nothing to gain from enraging Articuno; to do such a thing would be dishonorable. Besides, I've already lost my Gym; I don't want to lose my title as Gym Leader too."

Gold asked, "Lost your Gym…? Wait! Then you're…"

The old man nodded, "You got it." He took off his hat, revealing his bald head, and said, "I'm the hotheaded quiz master and Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island, Blaine! My Gym may have been burned down, but I refuse to give up! That is the strength of my spirit!"

Jun asked, "Why didn't you just tell us who you were when you met us? Why keep your identity hidden?"

Blaine replied, "You know that moment of dawning comprehension that you experience when you learn something? I love to see that; I really can't explain why, but it gives me a wonderful feeling." Slipping his hat back on, he continued, "I used to have quiz machines set up in my old Gym as an alternative challenge for Trainers. Quizzes and riddles are in my blood; it's just the way I am. That's why only a few people here on the Seafoam Islands know about my temporary Gym. It's meant to be a challenge."

Gold said, "I see… Well, would you mind having a battle with me and Hareta? You're still a Gym Leader, right?"

Blaine nodded, "That I am. But now might not be a good time for battling. Aside from that big battle, there might be some… loose ends to take care of." He looked towards the town as he said, "Some of the stray shots from that battle might've caused some damage. It would be a good idea to take care of that now."

Michael grinned sheepishly as he said, "Oh yeah… Good idea."

Blaine turned back to the group and smiled, "Hey, it's nothing to be concerned with. After all, you did help Articuno. And this is a good place to come for a vacation. Maybe after the repairs, you could give your Pokémon some time to rest. We're not expecting rain in the next few days and I do run an inn on this island. What do you say?"

Kotone said, "That sounds great!"

Hareta nodded, "Yeah! The Pokémon worked really hard to help Articuno!"

Blaine asked, "So are we in agreement?" When everyone nodded, he said, "Then let me show you to my inn. It's not that far from here." He then led the way off the beach, the group, along with Empoleon, Ninetales, Glaceon, and Pikachu, following after him.

Unbeknownst to the group, as they walked followed Blaine down the sidewalk, the figure from last night was watching them from an alley. It had witnessed the entire battle from its hiding place in that alley. Looking at Michael, it murmured, in a deep male voice, "So that's the boy with the so-called XD001… Well, no matter. The test went better than I expected; I think the energy will be quite useful indeed."

Suddenly, a ringing was heard from inside the man's cloak. Reaching inside, the man pulled out a phone and answered it. On the other end, a man spoke, "Where are you? I did not see you in your quarters earlier."

The cloaked man replied, "Forgive me, master. I left the island to perform an experiment. I just got the results back; everything should go according to plan once all the preparations are complete."

The man on the phone said, "Very well, then. But next time you decide to leave, you have to tell somebody before you do! Your work on this project is absolutely essential, Dr. Mephiles; it would be a shame if things were to fall apart now."

The doctor replied, "Yes, my liege. I will return to the island immediately." After hanging up the phone and putting it away, Dr. M. glanced down at his right arm and rolled up the blue sleeve. The skin underneath the sleeve was very badly burned, the kind of burn that was definitely life-threatening. With his free hand, the doctor pushed against the skin for several moments before grinning wickedly, "Ah… Now that is a severe burn. It's a shame you were already dead when this happened. I would've loved to see how you would react to being burnt to death…" With that, the doctor fixed his sleeves and walked down the alley, disappearing with the aid of the late afternoon shadows…

* * *

Hey guys, I really want to apologize for how late this chapter is. I think I had my mind on another one of my fanfics while I was writing this and ended up getting distracted. I think it's an okay chapter; hopefully you guys liked it.

Music:

Arrival - Surfing (Pokémon BW)

An Anonymous Tip - Steam Cave (PMD: EoT/EoD/EoS)

Articuno's Rage - Common Fight (Splinter Cell)

Lugia Takes Flight - Lugia Battle (Pokémon HGSS)

Back to Normal - Sigh of Relief (Trauma Center: Second Opinion)

The Doctor - Georgia Stress (Splinter Cell)


	65. Fun in the Sun

"This certainly is a cozy little inn you run here, Blaine," Mitsumi commented as she followed the senior Gym Leader down one of the hallways of the Little Riddle Inn. The group had checked in a little while ago and everyone was busy checking out the inn. Gold and Kotone were with their Pokémon in the hot springs in the back while the other boys were in their rooms, at least they were the last time Mitsumi saw them.

Blaine nodded, "Thank you, Mitsumi. I used to run the Big Riddle Inn back on Cinnabar Island as a kind of side job. You can think of the Little Riddle Inn as being a kind of successor to it, at least until reconstruction can begin on Cinnabar Island."

Mitsumi smiled, "You really want to restore your home, don't you, Blaine?" The man smiled back at her and nodded. As they continued walking, Mitsumi thought to herself, "_Riddle Inn… Kind of sounds like Ritalin… How odd._"

Blaine came to a stop in front of a door and Mitsumi halted soon afterwards, looking back at him. He spoke, "I'd better get started on dinner for tonight. I'll come find you all when it's ready, okay?" Mitsumi nodded and then resumed walking while Blaine went through the door, which led to the inn's kitchen.

Mitsumi followed the inn's hallways until she found the room she was looking for. She opened the door and peeked inside; from where she was, she could see Hareta's Minun and Misdreavus playing with Michael's Glaceon and Gligar in the middle of the room. Opening the door wider, she could see Michael sitting on one of the two beds, looking at something on the nightstand between them, and, through one of the windows, Hareta's Empoleon, Luxray, Lucario, and Sceptile relaxing in one of the hot springs with Michael's Zangoose and Swellow.

Mitsumi started walking over to Michael, who was so absorbed in what he was looking at that he didn't seem to hear her approaching. Leaning back and placing his right hand on his cheek, he muttered, "I hope that's just a coincidence, as unlikely as that might be. Because if it isn't…" Mitsumi came to a stop and cleared her throat, which startled Michael so much that he almost fell off the side of the bed. Once he was sure he was sitting properly, he looked back over his shoulder and sighed when he saw it was Mitsumi. "Geez, Mitsumi, you startled me there. I didn't hear you come in," he said.

Mitsumi sweat dropped, "Sorry, Michael. I figured placing a hand on your shoulder would've been even more surprising." Michael nodded, then she asked, "So what were you looking at?"

Michael replied, "I got an email from home. I was just rereading it to make sure I didn't read something wrong."

Mitsumi raised an eyebrow at that, "Why? Is it something bad?"

Michael shrugged, "I don't know. I hope not. My mom is going to send me another email when she knows for sure."

Mitsumi felt the urge to ask what was going on, but decided not to pry in case it involved family or other personal matters. So instead she asked, "Have you seen Hareta?"

Michael nodded, "He was here with me a few minutes ago, but then he left with Jun, Ninetales, and Sneasel."

Mitsumi asked, "Where were they going?"

Michael shrugged, "Jun mentioned something about going down to one of stores near the beach to look at swimsuits. At least I think that's what he said."

Mitsumi nodded, "I see. Well, as long as they're together, they should be fine, right?" Michael gave an uncertain nod at that.

**Meanwhile, at the swimsuit store…**

Hareta and Jun were looking around the men's section of the store while Ninetales and Sneasel were browsing the women's section. Jun was looking to buy a better swimsuit to show off to Mitsumi in while Hareta mostly kept an eye on Sneasel and Ninetales while they did their shopping. They'd already talked it over with Hareta on the way to the store, so he was mostly with them to give them his honest opinion.

After looking around near Jun for several minutes, Hareta noticed Ninetales waving her nine fluffy appendages from over by the women's changing rooms. Curious, Hareta headed over there and found Ninetales standing in front of one of the doors as if blocking it off. When he reached her, he asked, "So did you two pick something out?"

Ninetales nodded, "(Yes. I think you'll like what Sneasel picked out. She's changing in there right now.)"

Hareta asked, "Are you sure about this? This isn't going to start up anything?"

Ninetales waved three of her tails in a dismissive gesture, "(I told you, there's nothing to worry about. You know that these tails aren't just for show.)"

Suddenly, Sneasel spoke up from behind the door, "(I'm ready!)" Ninetales moved away from the door and both she and Hareta looked at it in anticipation. The door soon opened and Sneasel stepped out. She had taken on her anthro appearance and was wearing a light green one-piece swimsuit that had a skirt going around the midsection and lace up near the neck. Her three feathers stuck out of the back of the swimsuit and she had a pair of red sandals on as well. She immediately asked, "(How do I look?)"

Ninetales smiled, "(You look beautiful, Sneasel. That swimsuit was made for you.)" She turned to Hareta and asked, "(Wouldn't you say so, Hareta?)"

Hareta looked back at her, a slight blush on his face, and replied, "Uh, yeah, I'd have to agree, but…" He looked back at Sneasel and, after a moment, said, "I don't know, I feel like it's missing something."

Sneasel cocked her head to the side and asked, "(Missing what?)"

Hareta replied, "I don't know, it just seems like you're missing something that would make you look even more gorgeous than you already are." Sneasel blushed at that compliment, happy to hear it.

Ninetales looked back at Sneasel and said, "(Try on the other swimsuit you chose. At the very least, we should how it looks and fits.)" Sneasel nodded and went back inside the changing room.

Hareta turned to Ninetales and asked, "She picked out another swimsuit?"

Ninetales nodded, "(She noticed it while we were browsing and wanted to pick it out as an extra option.)"

Sneasel came out of the changing room a few minutes later, now clad in a yellow tank top and white shorts. She asked, "(How about this?)"

Ninetales looked at her a moment before saying, "(It's not as cute as the first one, but you definitely look adorable in it.)" She looked over at Hareta and asked, "(What do you think, Hareta?)"

Hareta nodded, "Yeah, it definitely looks pretty on you, Sneasel, but…" He suddenly noticed something out of the corner of his eye. "Hey, maybe that's it!" he said. He turned back to Sneasel and Ninetales and said, "I'll be right back." He then walked away, leaving the two wondering what he was thinking.

Hareta soon came back over carrying a straw hat in his hands. Ninetales looked at it and asked, "(A hat? You think she could use a hat?)"

Hareta replied, "Maybe. It just caught my eye and I want to see how she'd look with it on." He turned to Sneasel and asked, "Sneasel, can you bend down for a moment? I want to make sure this goes on right." Sneasel nodded and bent her knees, moving her head towards Hareta so he could reach it easier. After placing the hat on her head, Hareta and Ninetales began to fiddle with it so her right ear and feather stuck out through the top of it.

After a minute, they were done fiddling with the hat and stepped back, Sneasel standing up afterwards. Both her feather and her right ear now comfortably stuck out of the top of the hat. She raised her claws and adjusted it a little before saying, "(Hey! I kind of like this!)"

Hareta smiled as he looked at her, "Yeah, that's just what you needed! Now you look, like, a million times cuter!"

Ninetales also smiled, "(I agree completely. It's amazing what one little accessory can do, whether it serves a special purpose or not.)"

Sneasel giggled, "(I love it! Thank you, Hareta!)" She gave him a quick hug before asking, "(So which one should I get?)"

Hareta said, "I thought the green one looked better on you."

Ninetales nodded, "(I agree.)"

Sneasel replied, "(Really? Okay, then that's the one I'll get! Uh, if that's okay with you, Hareta. After all, you're the one with the Pokédollars…)"

Hareta answered, "Of course! I don't have a problem with it! Just so long as it's something that you want to do." Sneasel replied that she did and went back in the changing room; she came out a moment later, back in her regular form and dragging the swimsuit she was just wearing behind her. Hareta turned to Ninetales and asked, "You picked out something too, right?"

Ninetales nodded, "(Of course I did. I just had Sneasel take it in with her.)" She looked down at Sneasel and said, "(You can go ahead and put that one back, Sneasel. It'll just take me a minute to change.)" The Sharp Claw Pokémon nodded and went to go put the swimwear back while Ninetales trotted into the booth, using a tail to close the door as she entered.

Sneasel came back about a minute later and climbed onto Hareta's shoulder, nuzzling against his cheek for a moment before they both heard Ninetales ask, "(Ready?)" Both Hareta and Sneasel said they were and the door opened a moment later. Ninetales stepped out; like Sneasel, she was in her anthro appearance and was wearing the swimsuit she had chosen, a deep red two-piece bikini. She had no footwear on and her nine appendages were above her bikini bottom, allowing them to move freely. "(So?)" she asked, batting her eyes.

Sneasel gasped, "(Wow Ninetales, you look so pretty!)"

Hareta nodded dumbly, "Yeah. I… I guess I didn't expect this."

Ninetales snickered, "(Just because I can live to be a thousand years old doesn't mean I don't have a playful side. You'd be surprised how some Ninetales might act even when they're two or three hundred years old.)"

Hareta rubbed the back of his head with his left hand as he said, "Well, I don't expect to live that long, so I guess I would be surprised!" They all enjoyed a good laugh at that, but it was suddenly cut off when they heard the sound of someone's voice. Hareta glanced down an aisle of goggles and other swimming accessories to see Jun at the far end, looking for him. "Uh-oh, it's Jun! And he's coming this way!" Hearing that, Ninetales quickly ducked back inside the changing room.

Jun, having spotted Hareta when he stuck his down the aisle, approached Hareta and asked, "Hareta, what are you doing over here? I've been looking for you for the last five minutes. And this is the women's changing room, man!"

Hareta tried to think up an excuse, but was saved when Ninetales called from inside the changing room, "Sorry sir, I asked him to come and stand guard in front of the door. You know how perverted some people can be."

Jun called back, "Really? Okay, I just wanted to know. You must be really pretty if you need to have a bodyguard!"

Hareta grinned weakly at that and asked, "So did you find anything, Jun?"

The blond Trainer replied, "Yeah. I was planning on getting a mankini, but they didn't have any in my size." Hareta, Sneasel, and Ninetales all had a disturbed look on their faces at that bit of information, all of them picturing what Jun would look like in a mankini. He then continued, "But I found something else I liked that did fit me!" He held up the pair of trunks in his hand, which happened to be a green color with tree-like designs on them.

Hareta gave him a thumbs up, "Cool!"

Jun nodded, "Thanks. So are you ready to go or did you not get a chance to finish looking?"

Hareta replied, "Nah, I did some looking and I didn't see anything I wanted. Plus I'm starting to get hungry."

Jun said, "Oh hey, you're right. Dinner's probably going to be ready soon back at the inn. We should get going."

Ninetales called, "Hold up a moment, boys! I'll be right out to accompany you both to the checkout!" She came out soon afterwards, having taken on her human illusion, and they all went to the front of the store. Jun paid for his trunks and, after Jun moved away from the counter, Hareta paid for both Sneasel and Ninetales' swimsuits.

Outside of the store, Ninetales took a different direction than Hareta, Sneasel, and Jun, but made it back to the hotel shortly after they did. Everybody left their belongings in their rooms, Ninetales staying in the same room with Hareta, and then they headed down to the kitchen area to meet up with everyone else for dinner.

**The following day, at the beach**

"Yeah! This weather is perfect!" Gold grinned as he stretched his arms out. He was wearing his red trunks as well as his goggles, having left his cap back in his room, and was walking along the beach with Kotone, who was in her blue Tankini.

Kotone nodded, "Yeah. It's kind of humid, but there's a nice breeze to counter it. It should be perfect for windsurfing!"

Gold looked at her, "You want to go windsurfing?"

Kotone replied, "Why not? I've never done it before. It should be fun!"

Gold glanced around the beach, seeing Pikachu out in the water with Pichu on a surfboard surfing the waves with Buizel and Feraligatr. He could also see Empoleon, Milotic, Glaceon, and Lapras in the water, Glaceon switching between swimming and hanging onto any one of the Water-types. He shrugged, "Aw, what the heck? Sure, let's go for it!"

They walked over to where the windsurfer rentals were, checking out sandcastles and volleyball games along the way. After stopping inside the shop and selecting their windsurfers, they came back outside to see Michael walking along the beach while finishing off an ice cream sandwich.

He was wearing a pair of black swim trunks that had two white lines on the right leg and his blue headband. He noticed Gold and Kotone and waved to them, "Hey guys!"

Kotone called back, "Hey Mick! How's it going?"

Michael licked some of the remnants of his sandwich off his fingers before replying, "Pretty good, actually. I've never been to a beach before. The closest thing to a beach we've got back in Orre is Gateon Port."

Gold grinned, "So instead of bodybuilders and cute girls, you have sailors and dock workers, huh?"

Michael nodded, "Something like that." He looked off to the side and noticed Jun and Mitsumi approaching. Jun was wearing his new trunks while Mitsumi was in her purple one-piece.

Kotone noticed them and said, "Hey Jun! Hey Mitzi!"

When he and Mitsumi reached the gathering, Jun said, "Hey guys! Going windsurfing, are you?"

Gold replied, "Well, me and Kotone are." He looked at Michael and asked, "What were your plans, Michael?"

The red-haired Trainer shrugged, "Eh, I don't know yet." He looked at Mitsumi and Jun and asked, "Why? Were you going to go surfing too?"

Jun shook his head, "Nah, then Mitsumi and I wouldn't be close together like this!"

Kotone giggled, "I didn't know you were giving him a chance, Mitzi. Though if you don't mind my saying so, I do notice that you seem a lot more at ease at being in a swimsuit now than you were at Cerulean Gym."

Mitsumi replied, "Well, things were a little different back then." She then leaned over to Kotone and whispered, "And I'm only cutting him a break just because today has been a pretty nice day so far. I don't know how long it'll last."

Gold asked, "Hey, has anybody seen Hareta?"

Mitsumi said, "I thought you guys knew."

Michael spoke up, "I saw him over on the other side of the beach. He said he was going to be spending some time with a few friends."

Mitsumi nodded, "I see. Well, if you're going to be over there, Michael, would you mind-"

_THWACK!_

"YOW!" Michael exclaimed as his knees bent forward due to him being struck on the back of his trunks. He glanced over his shoulder as he rubbed over the area with his hands to see his Zangoose running away on all fours, grinning mischievously and having a wet towel slung over its shoulder. Michael grinned, "Oh, wise guy, huh? Well, you're gonna get it for that!" He then ran to get his own towel before going after Zangoose.

"Hey! Michael, wait up!" Mitsumi called after him, but he was already out of hearing distance. She then sighed, "That's one playful Zangoose he's got. Hard to believe that it was really one of those Shadow Pokémon he was talking about."

Gold smiled, "You said it!"

Kotone said, "We'll probably go surfing over by that side of the beach, so we'll keep an eye out for Hareta, okay Mitsumi?" The green-haired girl nodded and walked off with Jun while Gold and Kotone grabbed their windsurfing boards and went out into the water.

As they were walking away, Mitsumi and Jun crossed paths with a muscular guy wearing a Speedo. He immediately went right up to Mitsumi and said, "Hey there, cutie. Would you and your two friends like some company?"

Mitsumi immediately knew what he was referring to, but Jun stepped between her and the guy before she could say anything to him. "Hit the road, Biff Atlas! Mitsumi's not interested in a loser like you and I've already got my eyes set on her!" he said.

The muscular guy replied, "Tough luck, shrimp. Girls go for guys with muscles, and I sure don't see any on you."

Mitsumi spoke up, "Maybe stuck-up girls would. Come on, Jun, let's go."

When Mitsumi tried to move past the guy, he got in her way and held out a hand, which came into contact with her breasts. He spoke, "Hey, don't brush me off, dollface! I'm here to show you a real good time!"

Jun said, "Well, if you were looking for a good time, then you shouldn't have done that!"

Before the guy could say anything, Mitsumi angrily swung her fist into his face, hitting his nose from the side and causing him to spin around as he fell. After he landed, she angrily yelled, "DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH ME THERE AGAIN, YOU PERVERT!" It took Jun a moment to calm her down, but when she did, they continued on, leaving the guy with, at the very least, a bloody nose and his pride shattered.

On the other side of the beach, Hareta was doing exactly what Michael said he was doing. He was playing with Sneasel (who was in her anthro form and wearing her new swimsuit), Misdreavus, Typhlosion, Minun, and Lucario. Not far away, Ninetales (also in her anthro form and swimsuit), Sceptile, Luxray, and Scizor were all soaking up some sunlight. Because of Ninetales' natural magic, she and Sneasel appeared to be regular human girls to everyone except Hareta and all the Pokémon on the beach.

After watching him play for a while, Ninetales called Hareta over to where she was relaxing on a beach towel. He came over and asked, "What's up, Ninetales?"

She replied, "Nothing, really. I just wanted to ask if could request your company for a little while." Hareta nodded and sat down next to her, Minun coming over soon afterwards and hopping up onto his lap. Ninetales smiled at the way the two playfully poked each other and said, "Don't ever change, Hareta."

Hareta looked at her quizzically and asked, "Don't change? What?"

Looking up at the sky, Ninetales said, "Some people change very dramatically over the course of their lives. I don't believe that you will, given all you've went through during our time together, but I want you to know that you really shouldn't. I don't meet many humans that have a strong will like you do; the last human I had contact with before Dr. Kiyoshi was a good example. Even in spite of the way he acted, I was willing to give him a chance to change, especially after his partner stood up for him. Then he had to go and ruin it by suddenly getting the crazy idea to grab one of my tails and run off while his partner took my curse in his place."

Minun gasped, "(Curse? You can curse people?)"

Ninetales patted him on the head and replied, "Only if a human or Pokémon touches one of my tails without my permission. My species easily hold grudges over that."

Hareta asked, "So what happened to that guy? His partner?"

Ninetales looked up at the blue sky again as she said, "Well, even cursed as she is, his partner remains firm in her belief that her friend will change and they will meet again someday. As for the human, I don't know. My guess is he's still out there somewhere, though I'm sure he's not the same as he used to be."

Hareta smiled, "So you think he's changed then."

Ninetales shook her head, "That's not what I meant. And no, I'm not going to elaborate."

Silence ruled for a few minutes until Hareta spoke up, "So why did you bring this up anyway?"

Ninetales thought for a moment before saying, "I suppose I was just openly reflecting on how, although some of these events have changed you somewhat, you haven't lost faith in your views or given up on your friends. I don't think many people could deal with an ancient evil, survive an attack by a female assassin, and evade a group of money-hungry fools without having some kind of doubt. But it could just be me."

Hareta nodded, "I see." He looked down at Minun and patted him on the head as he said, "I think if anything would've changed me, it would've been what I went through when I was first starting out as a Trainer." Ninetales looked at him curiously at that, so he went on, "On the day I left with Piplup and Mitsumi, I ran into a couple of Grunts from a group called Team Galactic. I didn't like them off the bat, due to those Grunts having the same scent that was on the Onix from my home. They did something to him that made him go out of control."

Ninetales said, "Go on."

Hareta continued, "I later met their leader, Cyrus, but I didn't know who he was until Mitsumi saw him. He'd taken her in when she was little, raised her to be some kind of fighting machine. She started changing after she met Gramps, but I guess she still thinks about that sometimes. That's what she was talking about when we were on our way to Lavender Town."

Ninetales nodded, "I see. So what was Cyrus after?"

Hareta replied, "Dialga." At Ninetales' quizzical look, he said, "He was looking to capture the three guardians from Sinnoh's lakes and create an item that would call Dialga into our world. With Dialga's power, he'd erase the world and remake it the way he thought it should be, with himself as a god. He and his commanders threw everything they had at me and my friends to make sure he'd succeed, not knowing that nobody would be spared. Cyrus even managed to force Mitsumi to fight me at their headquarters."

Ninetales shook her head, "How conceited and cruel. You must hate him."

Hareta smiled, "Actually, I don't. He was fun to battle with, and no matter what he says, I think that there is some part of him that believes in this world. At the very least, he's not trying to go after Dialga or Palkia after their big battle at the Spear Pillar almost erased the world."

Ninetales asked, "A battle between the rulers of time and space?" When Hareta nodded, she turned away and murmured to herself, "That might be how Dr. Kiyoshi ended up where he did. Something that, even though it didn't happen at the site of the battle, happened anyway?"

Hareta asked, "Something wrong, Ninetales?"

The fox looked over at him, "Hm? Oh no, just a stray thought. So he was stopped, huh? What about his subordinates? Do you harbor any dislike for them?"

Hareta shrugged, "The only one I wasn't really fond of was Saturn, due to how he treated his Pokémon. But he was still fun in a way, and it seems like he's changed somewhat."

Ninetales smiled, "Wow. Is there anybody you really don't like?"

At those words, Hareta's expression changed from a carefree one to a slightly angry one. "Well, yes. I don't like the guy who took over Team Galactic after Cyrus' plans fell through." Minun immediately knew who he was talking about and shared a knowing look with him.

Ninetales didn't know who he was referring to and asked, "Who?"

Hareta answered, "Charon. He was a new commander during Cyrus' time, but he took over after Dialga and Palkia went back to where they came from, capturing Cyrus to keep him out of the way."

Ninetales asked, "So how was he different from Cyrus?"

Hareta replied, "He was a real jerk! Obsessed with money, using machines to turn Pokémon into living weapons, and tricking my dad into telling him where to find Giratina just so he could he could sell it for a fortune! Even though he was out of sight when Cyrus was the leader, he was the one responsible for making my friend Onix go berserk and forcing Mitsumi to return to Team Galactic. He even forced Koya's Growlithe to fight against him with one of his machines. The only good thing was that it gave Koya a chance to face his past."

Ninetales said, "Well, he certainly sounds like a charming fellow. Still… well, I trust that you're telling the truth, but I guess I would have to meet him to truly understand."

Hareta replied, "Hopefully, you never will. He is so low; I wouldn't put it past him to be working on some new devious scheme now that he's out of prison."

Ninetales asked, "You really think he's planning something?"

Hareta shrugged, "I honestly wouldn't be surprised. The fact that he's been so quiet for however long it's been is what's worrying me, though."

Ninetales had a thought and asked, "Do you suppose he could've been the person that hired Domino and that group of Pokémon Pinchers to attack you?"

Hareta thought for a moment before saying, "Maybe. His definition of doing something personally does seem to involve making someone else do it while he stays back."

Ninetales murmured, "I see…" She then noticed how agitated Hareta appeared to be after just talking about Charon and said, "I'm sorry for bringing this up."

Hareta looked at her and said, "No no, it's okay, Ninetales. I mean, I don't want to hate him or think of doing things to him, but he makes me so mad. I'm not kidding."

Ninetales could see he really wasn't, so she tried to think of something to say that would change his attitude. She didn't have to, though, as Misdreavus, Typhlosion, Sneasel, and Lucario came over, Misdreavus saying, "(Hareta, we wanna play with you some more! Please?)"

Hareta's face immediately brightened and he said, "Okay!" He stood up, Minun leaping down onto the towel as he did, and turned to Ninetales, asking, "Do you want to play too, Ninetales?"

The fox put on a mock pensive look, tapping her fingers against her chin as she thought, even though she already knew what her answer was. Sneasel begged, "(Aw, please, Ninetales? Just for a little while?)"

Ninetales smiled, "To be honest… I thought you'd never ask!" She then stood up and asked, "So what are we playing?"

Hareta thought a moment and then said, "How about Marco Polo?"

Ninetales smiled, "Okay. But if either you or Lucario are it, then there's no using your Aura to find the others!"

Hareta grinned, "I know, and Lucario already knew that!" Everyone then ran out into the water to play. This was what summer days were all about.

Later that afternoon, when everyone was all worn out from playing and ready to head back to the inn, they all stopped by the showers on the beach to wash off the sand before leaving. On the girl's side, Ninetales and Sneasel waited until Mitsumi and Kotone were done before stepping into the shower area and peeling off their swimsuits. Even in their anthro forms, their fur was thick enough to hide anything from view.

While they were showering, Sneasel noticed that Ninetales was unusually quiet, as though she had something on her mind. "(Ninetales? Are you okay?)" she asked.

The fox looked at her in surprise, as though she just realized that she was acting a bit unusual. "(Yes, I'm fine, Sneasel. I just got caught up in my thoughts for a minute.)" she answered. She then thought to herself, "_I know it's an urgent message, but I don't want to leave just yet. At the very least, I want to see Gold and Hareta get the last two Kanto badges before I go._"

Her thoughts were interrupted when Typhlosion and Misdreavus came into the shower area and Typhlosion said, "(Hey girls.)"

Sneasel turned to look at her and said, "(Oh! Hello Typhlosion and Misdreavus!)"

Ninetales waved to her and said, "(Hey.)"

After Typhlosion got the hot water going from one of the showerheads, Misdreavus said, "(It was a lot of fun to play with Hareta again!)"

Sneasel smiled, "(You said it. And he really enjoyed our company, didn't he?)"

Ninetales ran her hands through her fur, looking for any tangles as she said, "(Yes. And I have a feeling he wouldn't like it if any of us were to fight over him. He likes us too much to have to see us fighting over his affections.)"

Typhlosion, after a moment, said, "(I suppose you have a point there, Ninetales. He really loves all Pokémon, so he wouldn't want to be forced to choose favorites.)"

Ninetales nodded as she turned around, "(Exactly. And we all seem to have been trying to draw his attention to ourselves recently. We've been so subtle about it that he doesn't even know it. What would he say if he were to find out?)"

Typhlosion thought for a moment before saying, "(It might not change how he feels in the long run, but surely he wouldn't be too happy about it either.)"

Ninetales nodded again, "(Yes. He wouldn't be too happy about any secret infighting. So how about we put a stop to it before he finds out?)" The girls all agreed and bumped fists (or in Misdreavus' case, bumped hair) on it before they finished showering.

Over on the men's side, meanwhile, the boys were finishing up showering as well, with Jun and Gold having just left, leaving Hareta and Michael alone. The raven-haired boy turned to the red-haired boy and asked, "So what was it like spending time at the beach?"

Michael turned to him and said, "It was new, that's for sure. Not to say I didn't like it, because I did have a lot of fun."

Hareta smiled, "That's cool. For me, it was kind of like being back home."

Michael said, "Speaking of home, I might have to go back home soon. It all depends on whether I get another email from my mom or not. Just as a heads-up."

Hareta replied, "Oh… You know, I wouldn't mind going to visit your home region sometime. Orre sounds like a pretty cool place!"

Michael smiled, "You think so? Well, you'll probably want to get some rest after this little journey, but if you really want to come out to a desert region, I think that can be arranged."

Hareta gasped, "Really? Great!" With that, they finished washing up and left the showers, meeting up with everyone else and heading back to the inn to relax for the evening.

The following day, Blaine accepted Hareta and Gold's request for a Gym battle, battling them in his cave Gym. He proved to be a strong battler, but they barely managed to score a victory and the Volcano Badge. After everyone said goodbye to him, Michael called out his Lugia and they left the Seafoam Islands, heading northwest to Viridian City. It was time for the final Kanto Gym battle…

* * *

This was kind of a filler chapter that I wanted to write, seeing as how we're almost to the end of this story. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it, considering it involves one or two things I normally don't write about, but I think it's all right. Hopefully, everyone else thinks so too.

Initially I was planning to insert a flashback to DPA34, "Koya's Sad Reunion", when Hareta was talking to Ninetales, but eventually decided it would take up too much room.


	66. Battle for the Earth Badge

The doors of the Viridian City Pokémon Center slid open, Hareta and his friends stepping out afterwards, Pichu, Minun, Cubone, and Glaceon sitting on their respective Trainers' shoulders. "All right, today is the day! Now that we've done what he wanted, we'll finally get the chance to battle with Blue!" Gold grinned.

Ninetales leaned against Hareta's side as they walked and smiled up at him, asking, "(He's pretty excited about this, isn't he?)"

Hareta looked down at her and smiled back, saying, "Hey, I'm really excited too! Blue's gonna be a lot of fun to battle; he almost became a champion and he's got that vibe that other strong Trainers I've met before have!"

Jun grinned as he looked at Hareta, "You and your vibes, Hareta. I remember you saying the same thing about Koya when you first met him. Are you secretly psychic or something?"

Hareta shrugged, "I don't think I am."

Kotone smiled, "Probably not, then. If you were psychic, I think you would've figured it out by now."

The group came to a stop at the street corner, waiting for the lights to change color and get a signal to cross the street. While they waited, Mitsumi turned to Kotone and said, "I don't mean anything bad by this, but I think you might be giving Hareta a little too much credit, Kotone." At the brunette's questioning look, she added, "He's not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, after all. And I'm sure you've noticed that he can be kind of dense at times."

Kotone giggled, "Well, sure I have. Still, if it was something about himself, like an ability or power or something, I think he'd be able to find out about it somehow. Of course, I don't think he'd notice if it involved a girl."

Mitsumi looked at her strangely for a moment before shaking her head and sighing, "Well, I'm positive he wouldn't notice something like that. It would be nice if you were right, though; maybe then I wouldn't have had to tell him to behave all the time back in Sinnoh."

Jun grinned as he moved beside her, "Now who's being naïve?"

Michael tapped him on the arm and said, "Hey, we just got our signal." Kotone, Mitsumi, and Jun looked to see that Hareta, Gold, their Pokémon, and Ninetales were with the rest of the people crossing, already halfway across the street. The four of them quickly got out onto the crosswalk, merging with the other people as they caught up with the boys and fox.

The group continued on their way to the Gym, soon passing a familiar old man who was telling a group of young Trainers about his youth and turning the corner to see the brown-roofed building come into view. As expected, the sign on the front door was gone, so they immediately knew that the Gym was open for business. Stepping through the sliding doors, the group immediately saw the battlefield: a typical brown-colored battlefield with the usual white markings on it. The walls, ceiling, and the rest of the floor were all a bright blue color, with columns and arches near the side walls.

Gold soon yelled, "Hey Blue! Where are you?"

A familiar voice soon said, "Boy, you're a noisy one, aren't you?" Everyone looked towards the opposite end of the battlefield, at a set of sliding doors in the wall. They slid open and a familiar orange-brown haired Trainer stepped out. As he walked over, Blue smiled, "Yo! Sorry about closing the Gym earlier." When he reached the group, he looked at Hareta and Gold, asking, "Hareta, Gold, I assume you two got another badge?"

Hareta reached into his jacket and pulled out his Volcano Badge, holding it out towards Blue and saying, "You bet!"

Blue smirked, "So I see. All right, then. I'm feeling more in the mood for it now, so let's do it!"

Mitsumi asked, "What are the rules for the Viridian Gym?"

Blue thought for a moment before saying, "It's been a while since my last challenger. So let's make it interesting: we'll have a double battle. Hareta and Gold can each select three Pokémon to battle with while I'll use all six of mine. Other than that, it's a regular Gym battle: the first side to knock out all of the other side's Pokémon will be the winner."

Michael asked, "Do you mind if we watch the battle?"

Blue replied, "Sure, no problem. You can either stay back here or go stand behind the arches near the wall. It's up to you."

A few minutes later, Hareta, Minun, Gold, and Pichu were standing in the challenger's box, Minun holding his electric pompoms, and Blue was standing in the Gym Leader's box. Mitsumi, Jun, Michael, his Glaceon, Kotone, her Torchic and Cubone, and Ninetales were standing near the door, watching. Mitsumi had offered to serve as the judge for the battle, but Blue insisted that they didn't need a judge for the battle.

Before they started, Blue spoke, "I'm sure you both worked hard to get to this point, but don't think that I'm going to go easy on you because of that. I'm a three year veteran and a Gym Leader; I don't know what it means to take it easy during battle anymore."

Gold asked, "I thought Gym Leaders weren't supposed to take it easy on challengers, no matter what?"

Blue grinned, "How true. I doubt that any scare tactics I have are going to work on either of you, so I'll save them. You can say you're good, but I'll find out for myself right now whether you can live up to such claims. Think you can handle that?"

As he and Gold pulled out a Poké Ball, Hareta said, "I can say this much: this battle's gonna be awesome, Blue! So let's go already!"

Blue pulled out two Poké Balls and said, "As you wish. I'm ready to go!" He then threw both of his Poké Balls at the same time as Gold and Hareta threw theirs, revealing the Pokémon both sides were starting out with. Blue had chosen his Exeggutor and Rhydon to start with while Hareta sent out Sceptile and Gold picked Pidgeot.

Blue started the battle by calling for an Egg Bomb from Exeggutor, the Coconut Pokémon firing multiple egg-shaped balls of light from the top of its heads at the opposing team. Pidgeot immediately flapped its wings and flew up off the ground while Sceptile made a dash for Exeggutor and Rhydon, dodging the Egg Bombs and using Leaf Blade to slash through any he couldn't dodge. Rhydon tried to stop him by using Stone Edge, two light blue rings forming around its body that turned into glowing white rocks that circled its body. The stones then shot towards Sceptile, who continued using Leaf Blade to cut right through them.

Before the large green reptile could reach the two Pokémon, Rhydon raised a leg and slammed its foot against the ground, creating an Earthquake attack. Sceptile immediately came to a stop when the ground started shaking; even though the attack itself couldn't do much damage to him, it did make him unable to get any closer without the risk of losing his footing. While he was momentarily helpless, Blue commanded Rhydon to use Megahorn, the Drill Pokémon charging towards Sceptile at that.

Before the attack could connect, Gold called for Pidgeot to use Agility to help Sceptile, the Bird Pokémon flying in Blue's direction before making a U-turn and flying at high speed down at Sceptile, the Forest Pokémon raising his claws as it got closer. Pidgeot made it to Sceptile first and reached out with its talons, grabbing Sceptile's wrists with them and lifting him off the ground just moments before Rhydon ran underneath them. It managed to come to a stop not far from the center of the battlefield so as not to put the challengers in danger or distract them.

Meanwhile, Pidgeot flew up near the ceiling while still holding onto Sceptile, swinging him towards the wall and releasing him. Sceptile rolled as he sailed through the air, his feet and tail coming into contact with the wall when he was close enough. He then pushed off with his legs and leapt back towards the battlefield, charging and firing an Energy Ball down at Rhydon as he did. Rhydon made no effort to dodge the attack, but it didn't need to; when the green sphere was close enough, it used Horn Drill, its' spinning horn causing the Energy Ball to explode without causing any damage. After Sceptile landed, Exeggutor tried to catch him off guard with a Leaf Storm, but Pidgeot stopped the attack by using Mirror Move to send the attack back at Exeggutor.

Gold then called for Pidgeot to use Featherdance, his Pokémon complying by spreading its wings. After a moment, they began to glow white and, seconds later, it shot glowing white feathers at Exeggutor and Rhydon. Blue ordered his Rhydon to counter with Rock Blast, the Drill Pokémon waving one of its arms at his call, multiple rocks rising out of the ground at this gesture. They were then fired at the glowing feathers, each rock leaving behind a trail of white energy as they flew. The rocks knocked down all the feathers, several of them hitting Pidgeot as well and sending the bird flying back towards the wall. Sceptile leapt up and used his tail to stop Pidgeot's flight, both of them dropping back down onto the ground.

Rhydon came charging towards them, one of its forearms beginning to glow white as it got a Hammer Arm ready. Sceptile saw this and crouched down in front of Pidgeot, the leaves on his wrists extending into their Leaf Blade form. When Rhydon swung its forearm at him, it took both of Sceptile's Leaf Blades to keep the attack from hitting him. While they were in the middle of their test of strength, Pidgeot moved away from Sceptile, preparing to take flight again. Exeggutor, meanwhile, came up behind Rhydon and lifted up a leg, pressing its foot against Rhydon's back to give it some extra strength.

Before they could overpower Sceptile, however, Pidgeot suddenly attacked from behind with an Aerial Ace, sending Exeggutor flying and causing Rhydon's weight to shift, freeing up one of Sceptile's Leaf Blades. While Pidgeot finished off Exeggutor with a Wing Attack, Sceptile used his free blade to deliver a direct hit to Rhydon. Soon, both it and Exeggutor collapsed, both of Blue's first Pokémon defeated!

After recalling his Pokémon, Blue looked at Hareta and Gold and said, "Looks like I underestimated the two of you after all. You must've battled alongside each other before." Before they could say anything, he smirked, "Guess that means I'm going to have to get really serious!" He then sent out his next two Pokémon, Machamp and Arcanine.

Both Hareta and Gold called for a Quick Attack, Sceptile and Pidgeot shooting towards Machamp and Arcanine with a white trail following behind them. Blue remained calm and, when the two Pokémon were closer, ordered Arcanine to use ExtremeSpeed and Machamp to get its arms ready. At his command, Arcanine dashed towards Sceptile with a white, clear aura surrounding it while Machamp stayed where it was, waiting.

Arcanine's ExtremeSpeed overpowered Sceptile's Quick Attack, Sceptile ending up on his back with Arcanine on top of him. Growling up at the Legendary Pokémon, Sceptile fired a Bullet Seed at its face, Arcanine shutting an eye and gritting its teeth for a moment before rolling backwards off of Sceptile. Standing up, the seeds on the Forest Pokémon's back began to glow white before changing to a green color, at which point he launched a Leaf Storm at Arcanine. The big dog simply smirked and readied a Dragon Pulse, firing a turquoise ball of energy that broke through the light green glowing leaves and hit Sceptile in the chest. While he was reeling from that hit, Arcanine surrounded its body with a red-orange flame and shot towards Sceptile like a missile, knocking the wind out of him with a Flare Blitz attack. The Fire-type attack sent Sceptile flying off the battlefield and into the wall by the door, the Forest Pokémon landing on the ground with swirls in his eyes.

Pidgeot, meanwhile, was about to strike Machamp when all four of its arms latched onto the bird, stopping it while only pushing Machamp back a short distance. Pidgeot struggled to either get free or attack Machamp, but found himself unable to move very much at all. Machamp removed its upper right hand and held it back, the hand beginning to glow white. It then swung it down on Pidgeot in a Karate Chop, sending the Bird Pokémon straight down to the floor. Pidgeot managed to shakily get up, only to get struck head-on with a ThunderPunch, which sent it flying back towards its Trainer. It soon landed on its back near the edge of the battlefield, defeated.

Back near the door, Kotone muttered, "Whoa… Blue wasn't kidding when he said he was going to get serious."

Jun nodded, "Yeah. If his other two Pokémon are also different as far as type goes, Hareta and Gold are really going to have to work closely together to defeat him."

Hareta and Gold recalled Sceptile and Pidgeot, then took a moment to quietly converse with each other. After seeming to come to an agreement, they both sent out their next Pokémon, Hareta sending out Alakazam and Gold sending out Sudowoodo. Shortly after they appeared, Blue called for Arcanine to use another Dragon Pulse and Machamp to use Stone Edge. They both readied their attacks, Machamp firing multiple gray rocks at Alakazam while Arcanine launched another turquoise ball of energy, this time at Sudowoodo.

Hareta called for Alakazam to use Reflect, the PSI Pokémon holding out both spoons and forming a blue barrier, while Gold told Sudowoodo to use Mimic. Alakazam's Reflect took the Stone Edge attack without shattering and Sudowoodo perfectly imitated Arcanine's Dragon Pulse, the two balls of energy canceling each other out.

Blue gritted his teeth before telling his Arcanine to jump on Machamp's back, the Superpower Pokémon using all four hands to hold tightly onto Arcanine. He then ordered Machamp to use Earthquake, Machamp jumping into the air at that and striking the ground when it landed, creating an Earthquake that was slightly stronger due to Arcanine being on its back. The shockwaves traveled towards Alakazam and Sudowoodo, both of them struggling to stay upright. While they were doing so, Blue told Arcanine to use Flare Blitz, the Legendary Pokémon leaping out of Machamp's hands and charging towards Alakazam, hardly affected by the shaking at all.

Sudowoodo saw Arcanine coming and moved to get in front of Alakazam, struggling to stay upright as it did. When it was standing directly in front of Alakazam, it spread its arms out, performing, in a way, the move Block. Arcanine's Flare Blitz crashed into Sudowoodo, knocking it back into Alakazam's Reflect, but the Imitation Pokémon stood strong against the searing heat pushing against it. As the Reflect barrier was about to break under the intense pressure, Alakazam used Psychic to lift Arcanine up and throw it towards Machamp, who managed to catch it.

Gold called for Sudowoodo to use Rock Throw, the Imitation Pokémon raising the orbs on its right arm and slamming them down onto the ground, sending a rock flying at Machamp and Arcanine. Letting Arcanine down, Machamp held back its upper right arm as it began to glow white; when the rock came within range, Machamp chopped it with the side of its open hand. The Karate Chop split the rock in two, both halves hitting the ground harmlessly.

Because of their focus on the rock, nobody noticed that Hareta's Alakazam had disappeared. She suddenly appeared behind Machamp, throwing her arms up and firing a beam of Psychic energy at Machamp from her spoons as a Psycho Cut attack. She tried to use Teleport immediately after hitting Machamp, but Arcanine used ExtremeSpeed to hit her from the side before she could vanish again.

Seeing this, Gold called for Sudowoodo to use Double-Edge, the Imitation Pokémon charging towards Arcanine while leaving behind a gold streak. The attack connected, sending Arcanine flying off the field while leaving Sudowoodo no worse for the wear due to its Rock Head ability. It then dashed over to Alakazam's side to check on her and was relieved when she got up, even if she did seem a bit shaky.

Unfortunately, Blue had planned for this and, when Alakazam attempted to use Recover, he ordered Arcanine to use Thunder Fang and Machamp to wait for its chance. When Arcanine attempted to attack with its electrically-charged fangs, Sudowoodo knocked it back with Dragon Pulse. It was at this moment that Machamp chose to attack; it ran towards the two Pokémon, smashing its hand sideways across the side of Alakazam's face while she was using Recover and knocking her down onto her side. Sudowoodo turned around to go to Alakazam's aid, but just as it did, Machamp punched it right in the face with a fist that was surrounded by a light blue aura, indicating it was a DynamicPunch.

If it wasn't for Sudowoodo's high Defense, Machamp's DynamicPunch would definitely have taken it out, but it managed to stand up after landing hard on its back. Unfortunately, it had a dazed look in its eyes because of the attack and could barely tell what was up or down at the moment. Gold called for Sudowoodo to use Flail on Machamp, but the Imitation Pokémon was so disoriented that it couldn't focus on Machamp and looked more like it was using Struggle rather than Flail. It almost came close to hitting Machamp with one arm, but it was stopped when the Superpower Pokémon used Vital Throw, swinging an arm into Sudowoodo and throwing it with its arm. Sudowoodo hit the ground hard, the swirls in its eyes indicating it was knocked out.

Although he was shocked, Gold recalled Sudowoodo and sent out Buizel for his last Pokémon. Shortly after the Sea Weasel Pokémon appeared, Hareta called for Alakazam to use Teleport to get away from Arcanine and Machamp. Blue called for Arcanine to use ExtremeSpeed to stop the PSI Pokémon, but Gold countered by calling for an Aqua Jet. Buizel shot through the air like a rocket towards Arcanine surrounded by water, slamming into its side before it could reach Alakazam, allowing her to Teleport away.

Machamp tried to hit Buizel with a ThunderPunch, but the Sea Weasel countered with a Swift attack, firing yellow stars out of his mouth at the electrically charged fist. The stars eventually stopped the ThunderPunch completely, Machamp's arm being forced backwards. Arcanine tried to sneak up behind Buizel and give him a Thunder Fang attack, but both Gold and Hareta alerted him and he managed to do a back flip over the Legendary Pokémon, causing it to crash into Machamp.

While they were both stunned, Buizel raised his arms up and created a large whirlpool above his head, throwing it at Machamp and Arcanine when it was ready. The Whirlpool lifted up into the air, tossing them around; Alakazam, meanwhile, crossed her spoons and released a multicolored beam from them, a Psybeam. The beam was absorbed by the Whirlpool, striking Machamp and Arcanine several times as it followed the inside of the vortex. When it reached the bottom and was released, hitting the ground, below Buizel fired off a SonicBoom, causing the Whirlpool to break apart. Arcanine and Machamp fell to the ground afterwards, making a hard landing. Arcanine was able to get back up after a few moments, but Machamp was out.

Blue calmly recalled Machamp and sent out Gyarados, his fifth Pokémon. He then ordered Arcanine to use ExtremeSpeed on Buizel, which Gold countered by calling for Agility. At that call, both Pokémon took off around the room, Arcanine attacking while Buizel dodged. Blue gritted his teeth and called for Gyarados to use Ice Fang on Alakazam, the fangs on its upper jaw glowing light blue and two similarly colored beams of energy coming out of them. Thinking quickly, Hareta called for Alakazam to use Kinesis, the PSI Pokémon pointing both of her spoons in Gyarados' direction and seeming to bend them, which threw off the Atrocious Pokémon's aim and made the two beams veer off and hit the ground at Alakazam's sides.

Gold could see that Buizel was beginning to tire out from all of the dodging he was doing, so he shouted for him to use Water Gun on Arcanine. Blue called for Arcanine to retaliate with Dragon Pulse, the turquoise ball of energy breaking through the stream of water that Buizel was firing from his mouth and hitting him, sending him flying. He managed to land on his feet though and fought back by using Quick Attack to hit Arcanine from underneath when it tried to use Thunder Fang.

Alakazam, meanwhile, was busy dealing with Gyarados. When the Atrocious Pokémon attacked with Aqua Tail, Alakazam responded with a Psycho Cut, both attacks holding for a moment before pushing their users away from each other. Once they both stopped sliding, Gyarados reared back and used Hydro Pump, releasing a powerful jet of water from its mouth. Alakazam countered it with Psychic, stopping the water and turning it back on Gyarados. The large snake-like dragon avoided the water and looked back to see Alakazam create a light blue ball of energy surrounded by similarly colored sparks of electricity between her spoons. Light blue bolts then fired out of the ball, going straight up towards the ceiling. Gyarados tensed up for a moment, but relaxed when nothing seemed to happen.

It then opened its mouth and began charging up a Hyper Beam, yellow-orange energy gathering in its mouth. Once it was ready, it fired it at Alakazam, the PSI Pokémon's eyes and body beginning to glow blue as it readied another Psychic attack. The Hyper Beam stopped a short distance from Alakazam, suspended in midair by the Psychic, but Alakazam was so focused on the beam that she didn't see Arcanine coming up behind her while trying to shake Buizel off of its back. The Legendary Pokémon crashed into Alakazam, causing her to release her Psychic hold on the Hyper Beam, causing it to hit all three of them! When the resulting dust cleared, they were all knocked out! At first, it seemed like Gyarados was the only one still standing, but then it was revealed that Alakazam had used Future Sight earlier, as light blue lightning bolts came shooting down from the ceiling. They all struck Gyarados, defeating it as well.

Everyone looked on in shock at this; all four Pokémon had been knocked out almost simultaneously, leaving each side with only one more available Pokémon. Blue, Gold, and Hareta recalled their Pokémon, Gold stepping back a bit since he knew he was out of the battle now. Blue called, "We're coming down to the end, so let's wrap this up. Hareta, you've still got one Pokémon left, so decide which one you're going to send out."

Hareta nodded and reached into his jacket pocket, having put a few of his Poké Balls in there before leaving the Pokémon Center earlier. He suddenly felt one jiggle against his hand, so he grabbed it and pulled it out. Looking through the slightly transparent top, he saw that it was Typhlosion's Poké Ball. After looking at her for a moment, he asked, "You really want to show Blue what you've got, don't you?" He could see Typhlosion's nod, so he looked up at Blue and said, "All right, Blue! Here's my last Pokémon!" And with that, he sent out Typhlosion.

Blue looked at the Volcano Pokémon for a minute, saying, "This one looks really well-trained. It's no wonder you decided to choose it to wrap up this battle." He then snickered, "Heh heh heh… Even so, you're unprepared for this. We'll knock you down!" He then sent out his last Pokémon, a Pidgeot!

Hareta said, "It doesn't matter if we're ready for this or not; we're not going to be knocked down so easily! Typhlosion, use Flamethrower!" Typhlosion nodded, the flames on her back lighting up at that. She then released a red-orange stream of fire from her mouth at Pidgeot.

Blue grinned, "Not gonna work. Pidgeot, use Whirlwind!" Pidgeot began flapping its wings at that order, creating a strong gust of wind that formed a small tornado. Typhlosion's Flamethrower came into contact with the tornado and, because of how strong the tornado was, began spinning around the inside of it like a Fire Spin. Due to the flapping of Pidgeot's wings, it began moving in Typhlosion's direction.

Seeing no easy way to stop the fire tornado, Hareta called for Typhlosion to use Flame Wheel, the Volcano Pokémon surrounding herself with flames and dashing towards it. As expected, the tornado sucked up Typhlosion, but her Flame Wheel completely protected her from the flames that the tornado was now made up of. She soon shot out of the top of the tornado, the heat from the flames raising her up higher. As she came to the height of her uplift, she came out of her Flame Wheel and turned to see Pidgeot fly up to her height and use Air Slash. She countered the blue blades of air with a Swift attack, but wasn't prepared for the Quick Attack that followed, which caused her to land hard on her back.

After Typhlosion stood up, Pidgeot flew in for a Wing Attack, its wings spread and glowing white as it flew towards Typhlosion. Hareta called for Smokescreen, Typhlosion releasing a black cloud of smoke from her mouth at the call. Blue immediately called for Pidgeot to cancel the attack and turn around. After it was away from the cloud, he ordered a Gust attack, so Pidgeot whipped up a wind that blew the smoke away. Everyone then saw that Typhlosion was just about underneath Pidgeot, hunched down on all fours. Blue called for a Quick Attack, but it never connected due to Typhlosion unleashing an Eruption from the collar of fire on the back of her neck, the flames engulfing Pidgeot.

Back near the door, everyone was sure that the battle was over, even if Eruption wasn't as powerful as it could be. That was not the case, however; after a few moments, Pidgeot spread its wings from within the plume of flames, temporarily separating them and getting a moment to breathe before flying out of the way of the rest of the flames. Seeing everyone's shocked looks, Blue grinned, "Sorry, but I've learned a lot over the course of three years. And that includes discovering the best way for my Pokémon to endure attacks like that without taking a lot of damage."

Hareta grunted, "Oh man! What now?" He didn't get much time to think about it because Blue called for Pidgeot to use Return, Pidgeot going into a dive bomb in Typhlosion's direction.

Michael said, "Look at the way Pidgeot is performing that attack! I don't think there's any way Typhlosion will be able to dodge it!"

Mitsumi called, "Hareta, you need to answer Return with a powerful attack of your own! Have Typhlosion use Double-Edge!"

Hareta gritted his teeth; he was quickly running out of time to give Typhlosion a command. Finally, he called, "Typhlosion, use Flame Wheel!" Once again, Typhlosion surrounded herself with flames and shot forward, meeting Pidgeot head-on. For a minute, they pushed against each other before Pidgeot won out, breaking through Typhlosion's Flame Wheel and sending her flying backwards, once again landing on her back.

Typhlosion managed to roll onto her side, but struggled trying to stand up. Jun muttered, "Oh no, this is bad! Typhlosion started out strong and now her flames are starting to die down!"

Kotone murmured, "She's not going to give up. She and Hareta have worked too hard to get to where they both are today. She can hang in there just a little longer… right?" She wasn't really asking anyone, but Ninetales heard what she said and gave her a slight nod, displaying her own faith in what Hareta was doing.

Typhlosion managed to press her hands against the ground, but was still struggling as she tried to stand up. Minun and Pichu cheered frantically for her, trying to help her find more strength from somewhere inside. Blue saw this and said, "You might as well call off your cheerleading squad. Your Typhlosion's just about finished. Maybe if you'd listened to your friend's advice, it wouldn't be in this predicament right now. You must know that Double-Edge is a stronger attack, so why did you call for Flame Wheel?

Hareta was silent for a moment before speaking, "Yes, I do know that Double-Edge is stronger, maybe even strong enough to stop that Return. But that would be like the lingering pain she had to endure before she found me. In the short amount of time she was in his possession, her old Trainer forced so much on her in his attempts to make her stronger. Maybe she could've been stronger than she is now, but that kind of training would've worn down who she is, like how the recoil damage from Double-Edge wears the Pokémon who uses it down."

By now, Typhlosion had managed to push herself up enough to get on her knees. She opened an eye to look at Hareta without turning her head. When he saw this, he smiled as he continued, "When I took her in, I promised I'd never put her through that kind of pain again. We'd get stronger together rather than separately, even if it meant getting hurt along the way. Double-Edge might've been enough to stop Pidgeot, but it doesn't matter in the end because…" he shifted his attention to Typhlosion, their eyes locking as he finished, "…I believe in you." Typhlosion looked at him for a moment before a grin crept across her face, a grin that grew into a knowing smirk as she pushed herself up onto her hind legs and ignited the flames on her back.

Kotone gasped, "Wow! Check it out!"

Michael said, "Typhlosion's all psyched up again!"

Pidgeot (who was flapping its wings to stay where it was while being airborne) and Blue tensed up at this, not sure what to expect. Hareta called for a Flamethrower, Typhlosion unleashing a stream of fire from her mouth that seemed to be faster than the last one. Pidgeot tried to roll out of the way, but the Flamethrower flew by its side, singeing some of its wings and forcing it to come closer to the ground.

Blue's eyes widened slightly at this; not only did that Flamethrower seem to be faster, but it also looked more powerful than the last one. But as far as he could tell, Typhlosion hadn't activated Blaze yet, so how could it be stronger? Or was there something else that was making Typhlosion seem stronger? "That was so powerful… Could it be I'm the one who's unprepared?" he wondered. Regaining his composure, he grinned, "Well, this isn't over until one of them can't keep going any longer. Pidgeot, use Return again!" At that call, Pidgeot once again flew towards Typhlosion at full speed.

This time, Typhlosion and Hareta were ready. Hareta told Typhlosion to dodge the attack, the Volcano Pokémon jumping over Pidgeot when it came flying in and turning around to face it. Blue immediately ordered Pidgeot to perform a U-turn, the Bird Pokémon turning left and flying along the edge of the battlefield before heading straight for Typhlosion once again. When it was close enough, Hareta called for Typhlosion to use Focus Punch, Pidgeot's choice of performing a U-turn having given her enough time to secretly prepare. Before Pidgeot could strike, Typhlosion brought up her fist and swung it at the bird, hitting the side of its face and sending it flying back towards Blue, who could only watch as it slid across the floor after landing.

Minun and Pichu began cheering harder for Typhlosion at this, everyone getting really excited at the way the battle seemed to be turning around. After Pidgeot got up, Blue called for an Air Slash, the Bird Pokémon flying up and firing blue blades of air from its wings. Typhlosion countered with Flamethrower, the stream of flames engulfing the blades of air and catching Pidgeot in it as well. Hareta then called for a Flame Wheel, so Typhlosion ran in Pidgeot's direction while flames began to surround her. When she was completely surrounded, she leapt up towards the bird. As she went up, she hit Pidgeot in the front and began pushing it as she went back down, arching down towards the ground. They landed near the wall on Blue's side of the field, a cloud of dust being lifted from the impact; when it cleared, they saw that Typhlosion was standing over Pidgeot, the Bird Pokémon now unconscious!

Hareta and Typhlosion met in the middle of the battlefield, hugging each other while Blue recalled his Pidgeot and everyone else cheered. Everyone then came to the center of the field, Blue saying, "Hareta, Gold, I admit that I was wrong about you two. You're both good Trainers. Looks like even though I've managed to get Pidgeot's Return to be as strong as it can be, I've still got a long way to go before I truly understand the bond Trainers and Pokémon share like you two do." He then looked off to the side as he quietly added, "And like him too, of course." He then looked back at everyone and noticed something on Typhlosion's neck that he hadn't seen before. "Hey, what's that?" he asked, pointing.

Hareta looked up at Typhlosion and saw what he was referring to. "Oh! That's the Effort Ribbon Typhlosion won back when she was a Quilava!" he said.

Gold grinned, "Hey, I remember that!" He looked up at Typhlosion and asked, "You wanted to prove that that ribbon isn't just for show, didn't you? You wanted everyone to know you worked hard to become who you are today, right?" Typhlosion blushed slightly, but she smiled and nodded all the same.

Blue smiled, "Well, after that performance, even I can't deny that Typhlosion really does deserve to wear that ribbon with pride. Now then…" He raised his left hand to his jacket zipper and pulled it all the way down. He then held up the left side of his jacket, revealing the two Earth Badges that were pinned inside. He unpinned them with his right hand and held them out to Hareta and Gold, letting go of his jacket and saying, "Here you go. You both won the battle, so you both get an Earth Badge. But remember this: someday, I'm going to beat you both!"

Both Hareta and Gold nodded, then took the badges from his outstretched hand. They then posed together with Pichu, Minun, and Typhlosion as they said, "YEAH! WE WON THE EARTH BADGE!"

A few minutes later, everyone waved farewell to Blue and began making their way back to the Pokémon Center, Typhlosion walking alongside Hareta while Minun rode on his shoulder and Pichu rode on top of Gold's head. Ninetales walked between both boys, everyone else walking either a little in front or behind them. As they were waiting to cross the street, Kotone went to Gold's side and said, "That was one tough battle, huh? Blue definitely is one of the best battlers you've ever faced."

Gold replied, "You said it. Blue was no pushover, that's for sure. But you know what? After a battle that intense…" he paused to push his goggles down in front of his eyes, and then finished, "…he's black and blue now." Hareta, Typhlosion, Minun, and Ninetales suddenly looked around with a startled expression on their faces. For a second there, they thought they heard somebody scream, "YEEAAAAHHHH!"

* * *

Whew. I believe this chapter has been long overdue. I just hope everyone thinks it's good because I'm not entirely sure it is. But the next chapter is definitely going to be my current writing project, since the second visit to Pallet Town will be the final destination for some of our heroes.

I wasn't thinking of any anime episodes while I was writing this. Even if the last part of the battle seems familiar to some people, I did not base it off of any episode.

So... Did anyone like the CSI: Miami reference at the end?

Music:

On the Road to Viridian Gym - Soleanna New City (Sonic the Hedgehog (2006))

Into the Gym of Blue We March - Elite Four Castle (Pokémon Stadium)

The Battle Begins - Poké Cup Finals (Pokémon Stadium 2)

Blue Gets Serious - Champion Battle (Pokémon FRLG)

Hareta's Explanation - Revealed Truth (Final Fantasy X)

Belief - The Greatest - Everyday! (Pokémon anime)

Something to be Proud Of - On Your Side (The Terminator (Sega/Mega CD))


	67. Day of Farewells

After a short rest at the Viridian City Pokémon Center, Gold and the rest of his friends set out for Pallet Town to pay Professor Oak another visit. Instead of walking down Route 1, however, they decided to fly over it with the help of Pidgeot, Togekiss, and Dragonite. At this point, they were about halfway down the route, some of the travelers along the road looking up to see the three Pokémon flying overhead.

"So how come we couldn't walk this time? This isn't like the time we were in Canalave City and needed to get to Veilstone City quickly to stop Charon," Hareta said. He, along with Sneasel and Mitsumi, was riding with Jun on his Dragonite while Ninetales was lying down on the back of Gold's Pidgeot and Michael was riding on Kotone's Togekiss.

"Simple. We want to get there as soon as we can, and we'll get there faster without being stopped by other people every ten feet. It never hurts to take advantage of the things that are available to you, Hareta," Mitsumi explained.

Hareta shrugged, "All right, if you say so." He then turned his attention to Sneasel, who he was holding in his arms. He played with her for a few minutes before they both looked over at Ninetales. They noticed that fox seemed to be preoccupied with something since it seemed like she was looking somewhere beyond the horizon, though they both decided not to worry about it for the moment, especially since they weren't sure Ninetales would be willing to tell them due to an audience being present.

The group soon made it to the entrance to Pallet Town, Dragonite, Togekiss, and Pidgeot landing on part of the dirt path near the beginning of Route 1. Everyone then climbed off of Pidgeot, Togekiss, and Dragonite, Gold, Kotone, and Jun thanking them as they recalled them. They then began making their way towards Professor Oak's lab, following a different path to get there.

As they walked, Hareta noticed that Ninetales was lagging behind the rest of the group, but he didn't think it was really unusual and kept his focus on the path, figuring that Ninetales was going to stay behind him and Sneasel, who was walking alongside him. Suddenly, the Sharp Claw Pokémon leapt up onto his shoulder and tapped him on the head, saying, "(Hareta! Look at Ninetales!)"

Hareta came to a stop and turned around. He immediately noticed that Ninetales was no longer behind him, but was instead walking off in the direction of an undisturbed, green meadow. "Where's she going?" he wondered out loud.

Michael heard him and turned around; when he saw what had caught Hareta's attention, he asked, "What's up with Ninetales?" Everyone else stopped and turned around when they heard that.

Hareta turned his head to look at everyone and said, "I don't know. I'll go see if I can find out and then meet up with you guys at Professor Oak's lab, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, he began jogging in the direction Ninetales had been going.

Mitsumi was about to call after him, but decided not to, instead saying, "Well, I suppose he'll have the best chance of finding out what, if anything, is wrong with Ninetales and be able to help her in some way."

Kotone smiled, "Yeah, that's the spirit, Mitzi! He can be left on his own for a little bit, so just let him do his thing. If he has any problems, he won't have to go too far to find us." With that, the group continued on their way to Professor Oak's lab.

They soon found themselves in front of the lab once again, Kotone ringing the doorbell this time. About a minute afterwards, the door opened and they saw Professor Oak standing there. "Oh! Hello again, everyone! I didn't expect to see you back here so soon!" he exclaimed.

Jun spoke, "Well, Hareta and Gold really wanted to get those last two badges, and they ended up getting them both in the same day!"

Professor Oak looked at the group for a moment before asking, "Where is Hareta? Did something happen to him?"

Kotone answered, "No, he's just taking care of something right now. Unless he comes screaming for us, it shouldn't be anything that could be considered a problem."

Professor Oak nodded, "I see. Well, I assume he will be joining us later, so why don't you come in?" He then stepped to the side to let everyone in.

Before anyone could move, they all heard a 'BEEP BEEP BEEP!' Michael glanced down at his pants, reaching into the right pocket as he said, "That's mine!" He pulled out his PDA and clicked it on, using his finger to go into his mailbox.

Gold asked, "New email?"

Michael only nodded in response, but after a minute, he looked up and said, "Uh, I'll be out here for a little bit. I think this wireless conversation might take a while." He walked over to the other side of the nearby fence and sat down Indian style on the grass with his PDA. Everyone else looked at each other and shrugged before going inside Professor Oak's lab.

They followed the professor back to his relaxation room, Gold, Kotone, and Mitsumi sitting on the couch across from Professor Oak's and Jun sitting down on a nearby ottoman. After a moment of silence, Professor Oak spoke, "Eight Johto badges and eight Kanto badges… I had a feeling you would be destined to go far when we met in Violet City, Gold. That's part of the reason I gave you that Pokédex: to help you grow as a Trainer."

Gold blushed as he scratched the back of his head, "That's very nice of you to say, professor. Still, it would've been nice if I had made it to the final round back at the Silver Conference."

Professor Oak replied, "Ah, there's no reason to concern yourself over that. Not every road is straightforward and easy to walk down, you know. Your friend Hareta didn't exactly win in his first competition; it was more like a victory by a technicality. I saw your match, Gold; you were very close to beating Lance when your Meganium fell. I'm sure next time will be different for you; maybe when that time comes, you'll get the chance to battle with Hareta." Gold smiled at that, feeling better after hearing the old man's words.

Suddenly, the door near the back of the room opened and Daisy stepped into the room. "Excuse me, grandfather. Professor Rowan is on the ph- Oh?" She stopped in mid-sentence when she realized Gold, Kotone, Mitsumi, and Jun were in the room.

"What is it, Daisy? What's Professor Rowan calling about?" Professor Oak asked.

"Well, he wanted to talk to Mitsumi, but I told him that she left a few days ago. When I told him you wanted Gold and the others to come back, he said he wanted to tell you what he was going to tell Mitsumi so you could pass it on to her," Daisy explained.

Mitsumi stood up from the couch and said, "Well, there's no need for that, Daisy. As long as I'm here, I'll see what he wants myself."

Daisy nodded, "Of course, Mitsumi. Right this way." She then left the room, Mitsumi following after her.

Jun stood up after she left and said, "I'm sure it's none of my business, but since I'm helping the professor out too, I think I'll go see what's up." He then quickly followed after Mitsumi, a slight grin on his face.

Gold pulled his goggles and hat off with his right hand and ran his left hand through his hair, saying, "Geez, seems like everybody's preoccupied by something today. What's gonna happen next?" He tensed up after saying that, half-expecting to find out and regret saying anything, but relaxed and put his headgear back on after a minute of silence.

Kotone turned to look at Professor Oak and asked, "So was there anything you wanted to see us about, professor?"

Professor Oak nodded, "Yes I did, Kotone. I was wondering if you and your friends would like to go to a location full of strong Pokémon that not just anyone can go to."

Gold raised an eyebrow, "And that would be…?"

Professor Oak asked, "You remember the site of the Silver Conference? Silver Town, at the base of Mt. Silver?" When Gold and Kotone nodded, he continued, "Mt. Silver is a rather dangerous mountain; all the Pokémon that live on it grow up tough in order to survive the occasional blizzard and hailstorm, especially near the top. As such, permission to go up the mountain is restricted to most Trainers. If I make a few arrangements, however, I'm sure I can get you permission to climb up the mountain. If you're interested, of course."

Gold thought about this idea, murmuring, "Hmm… Climb up a big mountain where tough Pokémon live and there's a possibility for blizzards or hail? Eh, I don't know, professor…"

Kotone said, "Aside from being the site of the Silver Conference, I've read that Mt. Silver has hot springs that are very good for curing even long-term injuries. But I don't know much else about it."

Professor Oak leaned forward a bit and said, "This is just a rumor, mind you, but people who have successfully climbed up Mt. Silver and back down have occasionally reported seeing a bird made of flames up there." He smiled when he noticed that he seemed to have caught Gold and Kotone's attentions again and continued, "I've also heard that a former protégé of mine was last spotted going up Mt. Silver. Perhaps you'd like to meet him?"

Gold thought about it for a moment more before replying, "Okay professor, I'm sold." He turned to Kotone and asked, "What about you, Kotone?"

The girl nodded, "You bet! And you know Hareta would be thrilled at the thought of having the chance to climb up a mountain! I'm sure everyone else will fall like a line of dominoes!"

Professor Oak said, "Then it's settled! Once Mitsumi is done on the phone, I'll make a call to the guard house at the foot of Mt. Silver and see what I can do. In the meantime, perhaps you'd like to show me some of your Pokémon?" Gold and Kotone both nodded and called out several of their Pokémon, Gold sending out Mudkip and Pikachu and Kotone sending out Torchic and Togekiss.

**Meanwhile…**

Sneasel was riding on Hareta's shoulder while he walked through the grassy meadow. After following Ninetales over a rise, they had lost sight of her and were now looking for her. As they came down from another rise, Sneasel exclaimed, "(Look! There she is!)" Hareta looked where she was pointing and saw Ninetales sitting underneath a tree atop a small hill, looking up at the sky. She sat perfectly still, looking in the direction of the few clouds in the sky but not seeming to watch them as they drifted by.

Hareta ran in the direction of the hill, slowing down as he started walking up the side of it. When he was standing a short distance from the tree, he said, "Ninetales!"

The Fox Pokémon turned her head to look at him, quietly saying, "Oh. Hello Hareta."

Hareta asked, "Why did you wander off? That's not like you. I'm the one who's supposed to do that!"

Ninetales managed to crack a small smile at his little joke, but it soon fell off like water on plastic. She turned away a moment later and said, "I just… wanted to be alone for a moment."

Hareta said, "If that was the case, you would've told us that you would be gone for a few minutes. But you were staring out into space just now and you were doing it when we were flying here. It's gotta be something more than that, Ninetales."

Sneasel leapt down from Hareta's shoulder and said, "(Come on, Ninetales, you can tell us. You trust us, don't you?)"

Ninetales looked down at Sneasel's pleading eyes for a moment before turning away and closing her eyes, saying, "I'm afraid our time together is drawing to a close. I… have to leave."

Both Hareta and Sneasel were shocked by this, Hareta asking, "What? Why?"

Ninetales asked, "Remember what I told you back in Azalea Town? When I mentioned how and why I came to this world?" When they both nodded, she continued, "Well clearly, my sudden disappearance hasn't gone unnoticed by my clan. The night we were in Viridian City, I received a message from my clan's oracle. It seems they finally managed to locate me, as it was a message requesting an urgent return. I wasn't worrying too much about it at first since I know how to get back, but sooner or later, they're going to realize I'm stalling and likely won't listen to any reason I may have to give. Then… things are sure to get ugly."

Sneasel asked, "(But why, Ninetales? You and Hareta defeated Faust together! How could you possibly be in trouble?)"

Ninetales replied, "I came here without consulting anybody first. It's a rule in my clan that any travel of this sort must be approved beforehand. It's one of our oldest and strictest rules; breaking it is no laughing matter. When I get back, they're going to demand to know why I did it and what I've been doing these past few months."

Sneasel exclaimed, "(Well, we can come with you! I'm sure me, Hareta, and everyone else can help explain what you've been doing to them!)"

Ninetales replied, "I appreciate that, Sneasel, I really do. But that's another taboo in my clan. If I were to bring anyone back with me, especially anyone like Hareta, I would be in a lot of trouble. Like it or not, I have to face my clan's wrath alone."

Hareta stuttered, "But… Well… If that's the case, why did you keep quiet about this for so long? You could've told us; it'd still be upsetting, but you wouldn't have had to leave it hanging over you like this."

Ninetales' eyes shifted to look down at the ground as she said, "I didn't want to upset anybody. And I don't want to leave just yet; these past almost four months have been some of the best I've ever had. At the very least, I wanted to see this journey through to the finish. But I can't keep procrastinating like this; I have to go back to my clan."

Hareta knelt down and picked up Sneasel in his arms and cuddled her. He knew she was sad about what Ninetales was saying since he was too, but he also knew that they had to respect the fox's wishes. A thought then occurred to him and he asked, "Ninetales, when do you have to leave? Are you going to leave now or…?"

Ninetales replied, "It would be better if I got back as soon as possible, but… well, I suppose the longest I could stay would be until tomorrow morning. I'm sure that the Alpha is already quite upset with me. Not that that's really surprising; I've had a bit of a streak ever since I was a little Vulpix. But I've never done anything like this before, so I would rather not give her any more reason to be upset with me. You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"

Hareta replied, "Of course, Ninetales. I understand what you're saying perfectly. But could you please stay a little longer? Just for tonight? If not, that's okay, I guess, but…"

Ninetales eyed him for a moment before sighing, "Oh, all right, Hareta. If it were anyone other than you, Sneasel, or one of your friends, I wouldn't be agreeing to this. I hope you know that."

Hareta nodded, "Well, now I do. Uh, listen, can we meet up back here later tonight? Like after the moon rises?"

Ninetales replied, "I guess so. Why?"

Hareta said, "Uh… Well, I'd kind of like it to remain a surprise. Just please be here; I'll be waiting for you, okay?"

Ninetales nodded after a moment, "Okay…" Hareta nodded back and then walked away with Sneasel in his arms, leaving Ninetales alone with her thoughts.

As Hareta was walking back towards the town, Sneasel sighed, "(Oh… I don't want Ninetales to leave tomorrow. She's been like a second mother to me….)"

Hareta replied, "I know, Sneasel. I know how you two are; she's practically your aunt. And I don't want her to go either, but I don't think we have much of a say in the matter." He then held her out in his hands and said, "But that doesn't mean we can't show her we appreciate her sticking with us all this time. Maybe you and I could get her something that can remind her of all the good times we've had."

Sneasel gasped, "(Really? You think she'd like that?)"

Hareta smiled, "I'm positive she would. She could've gone with Dr. Kiyoshi after he left on his own or gone home after we dealt with Faust, but she decided to stay with us. So I'm sure she'd love it if we did something for her. Let's go talk about this somewhere; what do you say?" Sneasel vigorously nodded her head, feeling a little better about the situation now, and Hareta continued on his way with her in his arms.

**Later that evening…**

"What? You have to leave?" Gold exclaimed. Earlier, Professor Oak had invited everyone to stay for the night before they set out again. They were currently having dinner, Professor Oak, Daisy, Hareta, his Empoleon and Minun, Mitsumi, Jun, Gold, his Meganium and Mudkip, Kotone, her Eevee and Cubone, Michael, his Glaceon, and Ninetales all seated around a dining table. The rest of the Pokémon were all enjoying their meal outside near the back of the lab.

"That's what Professor Rowan had to say. He mentioned he wanted to see how our Pokédexes were doing and that he needed my help around the lab again," Mitsumi explained.

"So you're going to be leaving in the morning?" Kotone asked.

Mitsumi nodded, "Yes. I'm still Professor Rowan's assistant after all. It would be best to get back to Sinnoh as soon as possible, so I've already looked up when the earliest ferry to Canalave City will be leaving tomorrow. It'll take a day or two, but going by ship would be the best way to go."

Michael spoke up, "Please forgive me, Mitsumi. I would've offered to loan you Lugia so you could get home in no time, but I'm going to need him tomorrow."

Mitsumi replied, "Oh, that's okay, Michael. I wouldn't want to trouble you anyway."

Jun asked, "What do you need your Lugia for, Michael?"

The red-haired boy replied, "I need to get back to the Orre region. Something's come up."

Mitsumi asked, "Does it have anything to do with the email you got while we were in the Seafoam Islands?"

Michael nodded, "Yeah. The first one from my mom said that there were sightings of suspicious people going into the canyon where the Cipher Key Lair is. The one I got earlier today was from Nett, the head of the ONBS news station, and he wanted to talk. He told me that the police investigated the claims of there being suspicious people in the canyon, since they closed it off after they finished their raid on the building, but found nothing to indicate anyone was there or that the machinery was up and running again, though they did find that several crates that were made to contain Shadow energy have gone missing. They're currently investigating."

Hareta asked, "So you're gonna go back to Orre and help out, right?"

Michael nodded, "Right." He then looked down as he murmured, "Could Ardos really be reviving Cipher now? It almost seems too soon to be starting the organization again, but I don't know who else would be interested in Shadow energy."

Daisy asked, "What if it turns out to be nothing? Could it be possible that they misplaced a few of the crates?"

Michael replied, "That would be really nice if it turned out to be true, but that seems unlikely. It would take a bit of effort to misplace something as important as that in a place as big as the Cipher Key Lair."

Professor Oak said, "That's a fair point. So you'll be leaving tomorrow as well." He turned his attention to Hareta and asked, "What about you, Hareta? Gold and Kotone have decided to go to Mt. Silver and do a little hiking. Will you be joining them or going back to Sinnoh with Mitsumi and Jun?"

Hareta looked at his blonde rival and asked, "You're going back too?"

Jun grinned, "Of course I am! Anywhere Mitsumi goes, I go!" Mitsumi raised an eyebrow as she shot him a sideways glance at that, but Jun didn't notice. He continued, "So what are you gonna do, Hareta? Are you coming with us?"

Hareta replied, "I was hoping I could stay for a few more days. I really want to see what Mt. Silver is like."

Mitsumi said, "Hareta, you saw it basically every day during the Silver Conference!"

The boy replied, "I know, but that was from a distance! I want to see what kinds of Pokémon live up there!"

Kotone spoke up, "Aw, come on, Mitsumi, just a little longer, please? He did just fine back in Johto when you weren't there. Besides, there might be some rare Pokémon up on Mt. Silver; isn't he supposed to be filling the National Pokédex?"

Mitsumi looked between Hareta and Kotone for a moment before relenting, "All right, he can stay with you. But…" She stood up and leaned over the table so she was right in Hareta's face and continued, "You'd better be good while you're here! You got lucky when you snuck off for Johto, but not this time! The next time I turn on a TV, I'd better not see a news report about something you did!"

Hareta looked a little nervous at the look on Mitsumi's face, but he replied, "Okay Mitsumi, I'll be good. Promise."

Mitsumi leaned back and said, "Good. I know you'll keep a promise."

Professor Oak spoke, "Now that we've got that settled, perhaps we can get back to eating?" Everyone then realized that they were still in the middle of dinner and resumed eating.

A while after they finished dinner, when the stars were visible in the night sky, Hareta opened the door to Professor Oak's relaxation room and peered inside. This was the room everyone was staying in for the night, but everyone else was busy looking around the lab. Hareta went over to the corner where everyone had left their bags and grabbed a tan messenger bag he'd picked up earlier. After he slipped it on, he decided to leave his hat behind and dropped it on top of his backpack.

He then headed for the front door, passing by the stairs to the second floor and Ninetales, who was lying on the floor in front of the stairs. As he reached the front door, he stopped and turned around, calling, "Hey Mitsumi? I'm gonna go for a little walk, okay? I'll be back soon!"

The green-haired girl called back, "All right! Just don't go too far!" After she said that, Hareta opened the door and stepped out into the night, closing the door behind him and walking in the direction of a familiar spot. Ninetales could see he was ready to meet with her, but she decided to give him a few minutes to get to their meeting place. She soon stood up and used one of her tails to open the front door, pulling it closed behind her as she dashed off into the night.

It only took her a minute to get to where the tree was, the moon visible just above the top of it. Hareta was sitting next to the tree, looking up at the stars. Ninetales slowed down and began walking as she came close to the hill; as she went up, she noticed that the moonlight almost seemed to be gleaming off of the boy's raven black hair. She eyed the messenger bag he had for a moment before moving closer and sitting down next to him.

They sat in silence for a moment before Hareta spoke, "It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"

Ninetales nodded, "Mm-hmm." After another moment, she asked, "So why exactly are we meeting here?"

Hareta replied, "I thought it would be easier for us to talk without anyone around to overhear what we were saying." Taking in a slight breath, he continued, "You know, you were right about what you said earlier; we have had a lot of fun together these past few months. Kind of amazing when you consider how we first met."

Ninetales thought about this before chuckling, "True. I knocked you down because I was too hasty in judging you. And then there was everything that followed afterwards."

Hareta nodded, "Right. And after all that was when things started to get fun. Nearly three months since then and we've already made so many memories during our time together." Ninetales nodded, and then Hareta said, "So Sneasel and I thought you should take something home with you to have so you can remember all those times."

Ninetales looked at him and asked, "Like what?"

Hareta replied, "Well, Sneasel thought you should take this with you." He opened the top of the messenger bag he was wearing and pulled out a plain brown picture frame. He held it so the front was facing Ninetales and she smiled; inside the frame was one of the pictures taken after Hareta had won the Silver Conference, specifically the one of her and him standing together with Mt. Silver and the forest at its base in the background. It had cost a little extra to get the photographer to take the picture, but neither Hareta nor his parents complained about it.

Ninetales sighed, "Oh, what a day that was."

Hareta giggled, "Yeah, it sure was." He slipped the picture back inside the messenger bag and then took it off. He then moved closer to Ninetales and slipped it over her, saying, "Easier to carry this way. Just tell me when." He then started adjusting the strap until the fox told him that it fit comfortably.

She looked down at the bag for a second before saying, "This does make it a lot easier for me. Especially since I don't have my own backpack with me right now."

Hareta asked, "Hey, didn't you go get your bag almost a month after you first came here? Shouldn't your clan have known what you were doing when you went to get it?"

Ninetales replied, "They shouldn't have. I live somewhere else most of the time, on a different continent to be exact. I only go back to my clan to visit or when I'm needed there."

Hareta said, "Oh. Well anyway, I had one other question for you. You can use your tails to manipulate things, right? Like, say, to put a scarf on or take it off?"

Ninetales answered, "Well, sure. They can easily do that, but why…" She stopped in mid-sentence when she saw Hareta reach his right hand up to his scarf and pull on it, undoing it. Once it was completely undone, he held it in both hands and began wrapping it around Ninetales' neck. When he was done, the scarf was hanging down to about her chest, maybe a little past it.

Ninetales looked down at the scarf as best she could for a moment before looking back up at Hareta with a questioning look. He smiled, "That's from me. Something else to remind you of our adventures together. I think it looks better on you than it does on me."

Ninetales looked back down at the scarf for a second before she started trembling. Hareta looked at her worriedly, but she suddenly leapt at him, knocking him onto his back. She then began to smother his face with happy licks, the boy laughing at the feel of her tongue. When she finally stopped, she whispered, "Thank you. For doing this and being my friend."

Hareta smiled, "Hey, I'm happy to be your friend, Ammy." She smiled back at him and then allowed him to sit up. They sat next to each other in silence for several minutes, looking up at the night sky, before Hareta said, "I guess we'd better go back."

Ninetales replied, "I suppose so. You did tell Mitsumi you wouldn't be gone long, after all."

Hareta nodded, "Yeah." Ninetales was about to stand up on all fours, but Hareta stopped her and said, "Wait, allow me." He stood up and then bent over, scooping her up into his arms. He then started walking back to Professor Oak's lab while carrying Ninetales, the fox snuggling against him the whole way.

Mitsumi was waiting for Hareta when he got back, the girl leaning against the wall near the entrance with her arms crossed. As soon as he and Ninetales (who got out of his arms when they reached the lab) stepped inside, she immediately faced Hareta and said, "There you are! I figured you'd be back sooner! How far did you…" She stopped when she noticed Ninetales' new scarf and messenger bag and then asked, "Why is Ninetales wearing your scarf? And isn't that the bag you bought from a shop here in Pallet Town?"

Hareta answered, "I'm giving both my scarf and the bag to her. And I'm sorry it took me so long to get back." He and Ninetales then headed for the relaxation room while Mitsumi stared after them blankly, unable to find anything to say. After a minute, she simply smiled.

**The following morning…**

Hareta, his Minun and Sneasel, Gold, his Pikachu, Kotone, Mitsumi, Jun, Michael, his Lugia, and Ninetales were gathered near Pallet Town's port, Mitsumi and Jun's ship leaving in a few minutes. "Well, I guess you guys will be leaving soon. I hope you get back to Sinnoh safely," Michael said.

Jun nodded, "Same to you, Michael. Hopefully your search in Orre will turn up something." Everyone else wished him good luck and he thanked them for it. Jun then turned to Gold, Kotone, and Hareta and said, "You guys have fun on Mt. Silver. And let us know if you find anything interesting up there. I'd sure like to check it out myself someday."

Mitsumi shook her head at that and then turned to Hareta, asking, "Are you sure you're going to be all right without a scarf, Hareta?"

The boy replied, "No problem. If I get cold, I'll just zip up my jacket; the collar will help keep my neck warm."

Mitsumi nodded, "All right. Just be careful when you're climbing Mt. Silver; besides the rough weather, there could be snow covering up loose rocks. So look before you leap."

Hareta smiled, "Okay, I'll keep that in mind, big sis."

Mitsumi raised an eyebrow at that, "Big… sis?"

Hareta nodded, "Mm-hmm. You're always teaching me things and looking out for me, like a real sister! So I think of you as a sister!" Mitsumi couldn't help but blush at that; it was such a nice thing for Hareta to say about her.

Jun wrapped his arm around Mitsumi's shoulder and asked, "So what am I, then? I'm not your cousin or anything, am I? Because then Mitsumi and I couldn't be together since you would have a problem with it." Mitsumi glared at him and forced him to take his arm off of her, which made Gold laugh. As for his question, Hareta just shrugged.

Suddenly the ship's horn blew, indicating that it would be casting off soon. Kotone said, "Guess you and Jun had better get going, Mitsumi. You don't want to miss your ride."

Mitsumi nodded, "Right. Come on, Jun, let's go."

Michael brushed some of his hair back and said, "I should get going too. But traveling with you guys has been fun. If any of you ever want to come out to the Orre region, just send me an email. Here, I'll give you my PDA number." He pulled out his PDA and opened it. Hareta, Mitsumi, and Jun wrote it down in the Memo Pad app on their Pokétches while Gold and Kotone stored it in their PokéGears.

A few minutes later, the ship departed from the port with Mitsumi and Jun on board and Michael took off on his Lugia, heading northwest for the Orre region. Hareta, Kotone, Gold, and all the Pokémon waved to everyone as they left, Mitsumi and Jun waving from the back of the ship and Michael waving as he held onto Lugia. After all of them were out of sight, the rest of the group stayed where they were for a minute before deciding to get moving. They began making their way north, towards Route 1 and Viridian City.

A while later, the group once again entered Viridian City. Shortly after entering, they reached the crossroads near the Pokémon Center. Hareta, Gold, and Kotone were heading west to Route 22 and Ninetales was going north in the direction of Viridian Forest. Ignoring the fact that there might be people listening, Ninetales turned to face everyone and said, "Well, it looks like this is where we go our separate ways as well."

Gold nodded, "Yeah, just like you said on the way here. You've gotta go back to your clan, huh?"

Ninetales nodded, "Yes. It would be better to face them now rather than later. They deserve to know what's been going on, after all."

Kotone replied, "You're right, Ninetales. It's not going to be the same without you, but you have responsibilities to take care of before you can do anything else."

Ninetales nodded and then looked down at Sneasel, who was standing in front of her, and nuzzled her. She then said, "You be good now, Sneasel. And don't worry; we'll meet again."

Sneasel replied, "(I know. I just hope we meet again soon.)"

Pikachu came forward and said, "(Be sure to give everyone in your clan my best regards, Ninetales. And Weavile too if you see him. I'd go back with you, but I kind of like hanging out with Gold.)"

Ninetales replied, "Of course. I'll be sure to let everyone know you're okay. But if you ever get homesick, you know how to contact me, right?"

Pikachu nodded, "(Right. Those adjustments you made to the device in the Exp. Share…)"

Minun spoke, "(I'm sure everything will be fine with your clan, Ninetales! And afterwards, you can come and visit us!)"

Ninetales gave a small chuckle before saying, "We'll see, Minun. ...Well, I guess we'd better get going. Each to our own respective destinations, right?"

Gold nodded, "Yeah. Take care of yourself… Ammy, right?" Ninetales nodded in confirmation.

Hareta added, "We'll miss you, Ammy." Ninetales looked at him and the rest of the group for a moment before turning around and walking away, knowing she might lose her nerve if she stayed any longer. All nine of her tails waved to everyone as she headed north.

Everyone watched her go until she was little more than a dot in the distance. Eventually, Hareta broke the silence, "Hey… Let's go…" he said. Gold, Kotone, Pikachu, Minun, and Sneasel nodded, Pikachu climbing up on Gold's shoulder and Minun and Sneasel climbing onto both of Hareta's shoulders as the three humans walked west towards Route 22.

One road split into four different paths, and not everyone in the group went down the same path. But they weren't deeply saddened by this, because they knew sooner or later, the paths would merge back into one again. And when that happened, they would all be together again.

* * *

I really wanted to get this one done, but I don't know if I got the emotional part of it down. It's supposed to be at least a little sad, but I think I missed the mark. I'm especially not sure about making everyone leave so suddenly and the little bit at the end of the chapter. Ugh, why am I so bad at writing emotional pieces?

Well, we're almost to the end. Just two more chapters to go. And then it's sequel time.


	68. Silver Lining

**Silver Town, the guard house at the start of Route 28**

The guard behind the desk thumbed through the pages of the latest issue of _Pokémon Weekly_ lazily, no doubt waiting for his shift to end. His eyes went from the magazine to the entrance when he heard the sound of footsteps, looking up to see a young girl with a white cap and a Noctowl on her shoulder, a similarly aged boy wearing a backwards cap and goggles and a Pikachu on his shoulder, and a younger-looking boy wearing a reddish-pink hat and a Minun on his shoulder enter. The guard immediately set down his magazine and said, "Excuse me, children, but I'm going to have to ask you to turn back. Mt. Silver is off-limits to most Trainers."

Kotone spoke, "That's what we've heard. But I think we have permission."

Gold, while gesturing to everyone, said, "I'm Gold, this is Pikachu, she's Kotone, and he's Hareta. Professor Oak said he was going to make arrangements for us."

The guard bent down behind the desk and came back up with a clipboard in hand. "Let's see… Gold, Kotone, Hareta…" he murmured to himself. He looked back up at them a moment later, having apparently found what he was looking for, and said, "Yeah, you kids are on the list. It says here he called a couple of days ago. You three really want to go up Mt. Silver?"

Gold shrugged, "Professor Oak's a bit persuasive."

The guard chuckled, "I see. Well, you're free to go on ahead to Route 28. There's a Pokémon Center near the end of the route, so be sure to stop by there before you go up. I hope some of you brought some Escape Ropes in case there's an emergency."

Hareta smiled, "No problem. We made sure to stock up on supplies a while back. We'll be fine."

The guard replied, "All right, then. Have fun, but do it responsibly!" He then picked up his magazine and turned back to the page he left off on, looking grateful for the break in routine, as the trio and their Pokémon headed for Route 28.

After stepping out of the guard house and walking down a short slope nearby, Kotone said, "Well, I'm glad that went well. That guard could've put up a fuss about us going to Mt. Silver if he really wanted to, but he didn't."

Hareta shrugged, "He might've been glad to see someone trying to go this way that he didn't have to argue with. Maybe he's bored."

Gold replied, "I'm sure he is. The fact that Mt. Silver is off-limits means that hardly anyone ever comes in this direction, so most people that go into that guard house probably do so without having a good reason. Of course he's gonna seem like he's bored; he'd probably rather be doing something other than just standing around, even if nothing interesting was happening."

Hareta asked, "You mean like the last three days have been for us?"

Gold nodded, "Exactly. Hardly anything happened on our way here and even that sounds more exciting than standing behind a desk all day."

Kotone spoke, "All right, you two, I think that's enough. Let's keep moving; we should try to reach the end of this route before we decide to stop." Gold and Hareta nodded at that and they all continued heading west down Route 28.

Route 28 was a lot like a mountain road, as they had to navigate up and down rises in the path and go around the trees in order to keep moving. After several hours of hiking, they finally reached the Pokémon Center. They walked inside and went up to the front desk, Hareta saying, "Hi, Nurse Joy!"

The young nurse looked up from what she was doing and smiled, "Hello, everyone! This is a pleasant surprise. We don't see many Trainers out this way, do we Chansey?" The nearby Egg Pokémon responded with a happy chirp.

Kotone said, "We can see why. Your Pokémon Center seems a little smaller than some of the other ones we've seen. Is that to make things easier on you and your Chansey?"

Nurse Joy nodded, "Yes, even though we can accommodate quite a number of visitors, we usually don't get too many at one time. So this Pokémon Center is smaller to make it easier to maintain. We're mostly here to give anyone going up Mt. Silver a place to rest and relax before they go up or after they come down."

Gold asked, "Well, I don't suppose you'll mind if we stay here for a while then, will you?"

Nurse Joy smiled, "Not at all. In fact, I'd really appreciate it if you'd stay here for the night. I talk with the other Nurse Joys over the phone from time to time, but I really enjoy hearing about stories from Trainers about their travels. Maybe you could share a few tales with Chansey and me?"

Kotone turned to Hareta and Gold and asked, "What do you guys think? Can you wait until tomorrow to start exploring Mt. Silver?"

Gold shrugged, "I don't have a problem with chatting at the dinner table with Nurse Joy. What about you, Hareta?"

The younger boy replied, "That's fine with me!" And so the three of them spent the rest of the day with Nurse Joy, talking about the battles they had been in and the places they'd visited.

The following morning, Hareta, Empoleon, Gold, and Kotone exited the Pokémon Center with Minun, Pikachu, and Eevee on their respective Trainers' shoulders. Nurse Joy and her Chansey followed them out, the three Trainers turning to her and Gold saying, "Thanks for taking care of our Pokémon and letting us stay last night, Nurse Joy."

Nurse Joy smiled, "It was my pleasure. I really enjoyed talking with all of you last night. Please be careful while you're up on Mt. Silver."

Kotone said, "Don't worry, we will. And we'll be sure to stop by again when we come back down."

Nurse Joy replied, "Then I'll be looking forward to seeing you all again."

Hareta smiled, "See you then, Nurse Joy!" They all waved goodbye to Nurse Joy and her Chansey, both of them waving back, and began walking the rest of the way to Mt. Silver.

Not long afterwards, everyone came to a stop at the base of Mt. Silver and looked up at it. Directly in front of them was a cave that likely led to the upper parts of the mountain. Above the entrance, they could see grass and trees growing on the lower part of the mountainside and water flowing down in waterfalls and streams from the higher elevations. And way up at the top was the snow and ice covered mountain peak. Hareta, Empoleon, Minun, Gold, Pikachu, Kotone, and Eevee all looked at each other for a moment before walking into cave.

Thanks to several gaps in the rocky walls of the cave, the group didn't have to worry about needing a light to see. The gaps allowed sunlight into the cave, lighting up the inside. The cave itself was rather rugged with parts of the ground rising up. As they made their way through the cave, they began to hear the sound of waterfalls in the distance. Perhaps some of the flowing water they had seen on the outside came inside the cave as well? They weren't too worried about where it was coming from; for now, they decided to try to reach the source of the sound.

As they made their way towards the sound of the waterfalls, they ran into some of the Pokémon that lived in the cave like Donphan, Pupitar, and Steelix. Since Mt. Steel was a rough place to live, they were all tough and itching for some action, which Gold, Kotone, and Hareta's Pokémon were willing to give them. They eventually reached the waterfalls inside of the cave, where they also found some rocks that looked like they could be climbed up to reach the higher areas of the mountain. When they were as far up as they could go, they saw sunlight coming in from a hole in the nearby wall and made their way towards it.

Walking out of the cave, the group found that they were on the lower part of the mountain since they could see grass and trees all around them and the path they had taken to reach the cave down below. Gold glanced up at the clear sky, then down at his Pokégear and said, "Wow, looks like we were in there for a while. It's almost lunchtime!"

Hareta asked, "Really? Great! All that walking and climbing's made me hungry!" Minun gave a chirp at that, echoing Hareta's sentiments.

Empoleon chuckled at that as did Kotone. The brunette then said, "I'm feeling a little hungry myself. Why don't we find a nice spot and have a picnic lunch with our Pokémon?"

Gold grinned, "Sounds good to me! Let's see what we can find around here." After walking around for a few minutes, they settled on a spot next to a rock wall that was near a small drop. They then spread out a picnic blanket and got out some light snacks before Gold, Kotone, and Hareta called out the rest of their Pokémon. While they ate, everyone was unaware of a small, aerial surveillance camera that was spying on them…

**Elsewhere…**

In a familiar pitch black room, Dr. Mephiles stood in front of a computer console that was currently receiving live footage from the video camera at Mt. Silver. He was currently looking at the group and all of their Pokémon enjoying their lunch in the nice weather. He scoffed, "Even after dealing with an assassin, a group of washed-ups, and a Legendary gone out of control, he's still somehow able to enjoy such simple things instead of aspiring for even greater things. Did I really underestimate him or was he just lucky?" He shook his head like it was the simplest question in the world and yet he didn't have the answer to it.

Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded through the computer's speakers, "Dr. Mephiles!"

The cloaked man gave an exasperated sigh and then pressed a button on the computer console, asking in a calm voice, "Yes master?"

The voice on the other end replied, "I've finally managed to get good enough reception to establish a video link with our newest business partner. I need you up here!"

Dr. Mephiles replied, "Yes master. I will be right up." He then took his finger off the button and growled to himself, "That foolish old man… This new 'business partner' of his is only going to use him to get what they need. I can already say the same thing about that gang of Snaggers he's already 'convinced' to work for him. They've been having bad luck for at least five years and their leader isn't about to sell their services out to this pompous fool without getting something out of it. I'm sure of it."

He looked back down at the footage being transmitted from the camera; the group was getting done with lunch and appeared to be cleaning up. The doctor then said, "I don't like you, Hareta, and even I would be more willing to work under you than this old man whose plans you foiled. He'll get what's coming to him, but I might be obliged to let what you've done go after what he's planning has been played out. Hopefully you'll have wised up by then."

He then shut off the computer and turned to leave the room. Before he reached the door, he stopped as a thought occurred to him. He then reached beneath his cloak and pulled out a vial containing a strange, purple substance. Pulling the stopper off the top, a gas began to float out of the top of the vial. Dr. Mephiles smirked, "Here, just for the fun of it, I'll give you a little playmate for your mountain-climbing trip." He then held the vial up to his face and blew away the gas that had collected near the top, which disappeared shortly afterwards. He then put the stopper back on the vial and returned it to the pouch he pulled it out of. He then exited the room.

**A short while later…**

"Meganium, use Magical Leaf!" Gold called, the Herb Pokémon complying and sending out multiple glowing green crescent-shaped leaves at the opponent, a Golduck. The Duck Pokémon took the hit, but managed to recover after being knocked backwards. It then dashed towards Meganium, using Zen Headbutt. Meganium retaliated by using Vine Whip, grabbing onto the Golduck's legs and lifting it up off the ground. Meganium then gave it a sharp jerk upwards while letting go of it, sending it further up. When it came back down, Meganium smacked it away with his vines, the Golduck hitting the ground and being temporarily knocked out.

Not too far away, Kotone's Feraligatr and Cubone were battling against a Golbat and an Onix. The Onix lunged at Cubone, its tail beginning to glow white as it readied an Iron Tail attack. Kotone called for Feraligatr to intercept the attack with Aqua Tail, the Big Jaw Pokémon moving in front of Cubone and striking the shining white tail of the Onix with his own water surrounded tail. The two attacks pushed against each other for a moment before Feraligatr managed to force Onix to move back.

Golbat flew forward almost immediately afterward, hoping to catch Feraligatr by surprise. Kotone, however, saw it coming and called, "Cubone, use Headbutt!" Cubone nodded and dashed forward, jumping between Feraligatr and Golbat and slamming its skull-protected head into the Golbat. While it was dazed from the impact, Kotone had Cubone follow up with Double-Edge, Cubone charging at Golbat and tackling it. The Golbat fell to the ground soon afterwards, defeated.

But there was still the Onix left to deal with! It looked down at Cubone and fired a Dragonbreath out of its mouth at the Lonely Pokémon. Kotone quickly called for Feraligatr to counter with Ice Fang, the Ice-type attack just barely managing to divert the Dragon-type attack. The Onix turned to glare at Feraligatr and charged towards him in a Double-Edge attack of its own. Kotone called for Feraligatr to use Superpower, the Big Jaw Pokémon bracing himself. Onix slammed into him, pushing him back a ways before they both came to a stop not far from a ledge. Feraligatr then raised his right hand and delivered a powerful punch to Onix's face, actually lifting it off the ground as it was knocked backwards. It landed on the ground with swirls in its eyes.

Hareta, Empoleon, and Minun came over a moment later, Hareta cheering, "Wow, way to go, guys! Meganium, Feraligatr, and Cubone were really strong!" Minun cheered as well while Empoleon gave a smile to the Trainers and their Pokémon partners.

Gold grinned, "Hey, thanks Hareta! We're doing our best, after all!"

Kotone added, "You and your Pokémon are so supportive, even when you don't get a chance to have fun."

Hareta replied, "It doesn't matter what we're doing; as long as I'm with my friends and we're all happy, it's all good. And I'm sure we'll get our chance soon enough." They were about to continue on their way after that when they all heard a loud roar from somewhere up ahead. Intrigued, they began making their way towards where they heard it from.

Before they could get too far, an Ursaring suddenly appeared in front of them, blocking the path. It roared loudly at the group, seeming to be the source of the roar they had heard earlier. Gold said, "Looks like this guy's itching for a battle. Sure looks mad enough to want to pick a fight. You wanna take this one, Hareta?"

Hareta replied, "Sure! Let's go, Empoleon!" Empoleon nodded and stepped forward, flexing his wings as he got into position. Ursaring went first, running towards Empoleon with a Slash attack ready. Hareta called for Empoleon to use Metal Claw to counter, the blue parts on the rims of the Emperor Pokémon's wings beginning to glow white at that. He then caught Ursaring's Slash attack with his right wing and the proceeded to slash it with his left wing, knocking it backwards.

After recovering from the attack, the Ursaring roared at Empoleon and then ran towards him again, this time using Close Combat. Empoleon took the full brunt of the attack and was knocked backwards, but he managed to recover and retaliated with a Hydro Pump attack. Ursaring was pushed backwards by the stream of water, though it managed to stay on the ground and slid to a stop after the attack ended. Before it could attack again, Empoleon used Aqua Jet for a close-range attack, hitting it in the chest. Ursaring attempted to hit him with a Hammer Arm afterwards, but Empoleon leapt backwards and then jumped up onto a nearby ledge, putting himself above the Ursaring and out of the way of any close-range attacks.

Ursaring growled for a moment, and then it opened its mouth and formed an orange ball in front of it. Empoleon braced himself; he knew a Hyper Beam was coming. And a second later, Ursaring did just that, firing an orange beam that flew straight as an arrow at Empoleon. The Emperor Pokémon easily sidestepped it, however, and the beam instead hit part of Mt. Silver's frozen peak. Empoleon looked back at Ursaring and used another Hydro Pump on it, this time knocking it out. The group moved on after Hareta congratulated Empoleon, not noticing that a small purple cloud exited Ursaring's body after they left.

A short while later, while they were still exploring Mt. Silver, Hareta and Empoleon suddenly came to a stop. Gold and Kotone looked back at them, Gold asking, "What's wrong, Hareta?"

The younger Trainer asked, "Did you guys hear that?"

Kotone cocked her head to the side, "Hear what?"

Hareta said, "It sounded like something was cracking. Didn't it, Empoleon?" The Emperor Pokémon nodded in response.

Kotone murmured, "Cracking…? Could that mean…?" Her thoughts were interrupted when she distinctly heard the cracking sound herself. Gold heard it too and he, Pikachu, Hareta, Empoleon, and Minun were looking around, wondering what was cracking. Kotone had an idea of what it was, though, and looked up at the frozen peak, which they were now closer to. "Don't tell me that Hyper Beam from that Ursaring…" she muttered. Pulling a pair of binoculars out of her bag, she took a closer look at the peak. From where she was standing, she could see a crack developing in the ice. She lowered the binoculars and spoke loudly enough to catch everyone's attention, "It's an avalanche!"

Gold turned to look at her and shouted, "What?"

Kotone turned to him and explained, "That Ursaring we saw earlier! When its Hyper Beam hit the peak, I think it started loosening the ice and snow! There's already a crack forming in the ice; if that crack keeps spreading, it's gonna break and the snow will come down right on top of us!"

Gold took the binoculars from Kotone and looked for himself. Sure enough, he could see the crack Kotone was talking about, only it had gotten worse as there were now more cracks branching off from the first one. Everyone could now hear the cracking sounds much clearer, the cracks spreading each time they heard the sound. Gold lowered the binoculars, "Shoot, we're gonna need to either get off the mountain or find a cave or something! The snow might not go all the way down the mountain, but Kotone's right: it's definitely going to end up on top of us!"

Hareta looked around the immediate area, muttering, "Cave, cave, there must be a cave around here somewhere…" He suddenly noticed a cave on a ledge above them and pointed to it, saying, "Look up there, guys! Do you think we can stay in that cave up there?"

Another crack sounded in the area, causing Gold to say, "It's a worth a shot! Let's move!" With that, they ran in the direction of the ledge and climbed up the rugged rocks on the rocky wall to reach it. They all made it up to the ledge not a moment too soon; the ice on the peak soon broke with an extremely loud crack and the ground began to rumble as the avalanche started! They dashed inside of the cave and pressed their backs up against the wall across from the entrance, looking out as they waited.

Soon, a wall of white was all they could see outside as the snow slid down the mountain. Most of it slid past the cave they were taking shelter in, but some of it got inside, sealing up the entrance. They weren't too concerned about that; Typhlosion and possibly Torchic could help them by melting the snow. They were more worried about whether the rumbling caused by the avalanche would create any more problems. Everyone stayed where they were, waiting for it to end.

And then suddenly, it was over. Everyone looked back towards the opening. They were shocked; somehow, not only had the snow that had sealed them in seemingly melted away, but there didn't appear to be any snow outside either. They took a cautious step outside of the cave and looked around. It was true; except for a few puddles on the ground, there was no trace of the snow that had been coming down the mountain around or below them. "Whoa! What could've caused this?" Gold wondered out loud.

Hareta thought he heard something and turned to look. He gasped, "Wow! Look at that!" Empoleon, Minun, Gold, Pikachu, Kotone, and Eevee turned to look and were equally astounded. They all saw a large bird that appeared to be covered with flames flying away from Mt. Silver. It had a brown beak, orange plumage, and brown legs and feet.

"What Pokémon is that?" Kotone wondered. She reached into her bag and pulled out her Pokédex.

"Moltres, the Flame Pokémon. One of the legendary bird Pokémon, it is said to bring early spring to the wintry lands it visits. It scatters embers with every flap of its wings," the Pokédex said.

Gold looked back up at Moltres' retreating form and asked, "So Moltres stopped the avalanche?"

Kotone nodded, "Looks like it, Gold."

After Moltres disappeared from sight, Hareta peered back inside the cave and said, "Hey, it looks like there's a passage in here. I wonder where it goes."

Gold and Kotone came over to him and Kotone said, "Let's find out." Hareta decided to recall Empoleon to give him a quick rest. They then went back inside the cave, following the walls as they walked.

As they continued walking, they began to hear the sound of waterfalls again. It seemed to be coming from up ahead, so they kept going. At the end of the path they were following through the cave, they saw an opening that led to another room. Stepping through the opening, they found themselves in a room that had waterfalls coming down through the ceiling on the left and right sides, possibly feeding the waterfalls and streams they had seen earlier. The middle of the room was composed of gray stone, as were the walls, but other than that, there didn't seem to be anything else unusual about the room.

Then they heard footsteps from the other side of the room. They looked to see who it was. It was the same boy who had been watching the Silver Conference and had approached Hareta when it was all over: Red of Pallet Town.

Although they guessed that he might be at Mt. Silver after what Professor Oak had said, everyone was still surprised to actually meet Red. A brief conversation followed after the initial shock had worn off, which ended when Red challenged Hareta to a full battle. Gold, his Pikachu, Kotone, and her Eevee stayed back near the entrance while Hareta and Red moved near the middle of the room to begin the battle.

Red's Pikachu leapt down from his shoulder, choosing to be his first Pokémon for the battle. Hareta decided on his first Pokémon, which dashed out onto the field as he called, "Let's go, Minun! The battle is ON!"

* * *

Uh, I don't know about this one. I kind of want to finish this story and, aside from Moltres and the battle with Red, there's not much that I could do with Mt. Silver. I hope you all liked it.

I based the exterior of Mt. Silver off of the following picture: http:/ d3uwin5q170wpc. cloudfront. net / photo/ 141792_ (just remove the spaces). The interior is based off of its appearance in both GSC and HGSS. The room Hareta, Gold, and Kotone meet Red in is based off of the arena he's battled in in Pokémon Stadium 2's Gym Leader Castle.

Originally, I wasn't planning to include an appearance by you-know-who in this chapter, but I changed my mind when I realized I could use it to both contribute to what happens during the chapter and to kind of foreshadow.

I know the ending is kind of lousy, but I couldn't think of any way to do a conversation with Red that wouldn't... you know, seem awkward. He'll be appearing in the next chapter, so I'll try to give him a speaking role.

And I apologize to everyone who was hoping to see Hareta battle with Red, but writing out full battles takes so long, especially since this is Red we're talking about. Besides, it kind of brings to mind the final chapter in "Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure!", which ended just as Hareta and Koya resumed their battle at the Pokémon League. Obviously I had to come up with an ending for that battle so the characters wouldn't keep dodging the issue, but with Red, I didn't want to upset any of his fans. So you can decide for yourself how their battle turned out.

One more chapter to go, plus a little something extra. We're just about at the end of the road, so I hope you'll stick around.

Music:

Route 28 - Movement in Green (Final Fantasy X)

Stop at the Pokémon Center - Super Pipe House (Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars)

Climbing Mt. Silver - Mt. Freeze (PMD: Red/Blue Rescue Team)

The Spy - Twilight (Final Fantasy X)

Tussling with the Locals - Normal Battle (Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness)

The Avalanche - Hurry! (Final Fantasy X)

Red - Main Theme (The Terminator)


	69. Golden Hearts, Silver Souls

**Saffron City, Magnet Train station**

Hareta, Gold, and Kotone stood in front of the station facing Red and Professor Oak, who had come to see them off after they paid one last visit to his lab. "So you'll all be heading home now, eh? After going through two regions one right after the other, I don't blame you," he chuckled.

Gold snickered and said, "Well, you're right about that, professor. It's been a while since any of us went back to being normal kids, so now's a good time as any. Time to head home, recharge our batteries, and let our folks know how we're doing."

Red nodded, "Yeah that goes for me too. I would've stopped by home while we were in Pallet Town, but I haven't seen my mom for so long. I'm sure as she soon as she sees me, she won't even let me step out of the house for almost a week. I do miss her, though; I can't wait to see her again."

Professor Oak said, "I'm sure you can't, Red." He then turned back to the trio and said, "Well, I hope we meet again soon. And Gold and Kotone, I hope you enjoy your new little friends." At that, a Charmander climbed up onto Gold's shoulder and a Bulbasaur rubbed up against Kotone's leg. They both smiled down at them. Professor Oak turned to Hareta and said, "Again, I'm terribly sorry I didn't have a Pokémon to give you, Hareta. A new Trainer came in this morning and he really wanted the Squirtle, the one Pokémon I didn't have any more of."

Hareta replied, "That's okay, professor. I understand. Besides, I've got Empoleon, and no Water-type could ever replace him, especially not as my number one."

Professor Oak smiled, "I see. You know, it's always so refreshing to see such a strong bond between Trainer and Pokémon. How would you like a poem to take with you as a memento of your journey?"

A voice suddenly came in over the station loudspeakers, "Attention all Magnet Train passengers. The train to Goldenrod City will be departing soon. Stop whatever you're doing and board the train now."

Red spoke, "I guess there's no time for that kind of souvenir, professor."

Professor Oak sighed, "I suppose you're right, Red." He then turned back to Hareta and said, "Be sure to give Professor Rowan my best when you see him."

Hareta replied, "I'll be sure to, Professor Oak!"

Kotone said, "Thanks for everything, professor!"

Gold added, "Hope to see you again soon!" The three of them then headed inside the station with Charmander and Bulbasaur, waving to Professor Oak and Red as they did, both of them waving back. Inside the station, they fished out their Magnet Train passes and went through the automatic ticket check, which allowed them to pass through. They then took the stairs down to the train platform and boarded the Magnet Train with the other passengers. They managed to find seats close together next to the window on the left side of the train and sat down. Before the train started to move, Gold and Kotone decided it would be best to keep the Pokémon in their Poké Balls, so they recalled Charmander and Bulbasaur.

Soon afterwards, the Magnet Train lifted off the ground and began moving along the track, going west through a tunnel that led to the overhead tracks outside. Upon seeing the scenery pass by in fast motion, Hareta said, "Wow, this train is going really fast!"

Kotone nodded, "Of course it is, Hareta. The Magnet Train is held up by magnetic levitation, which is also what makes it move. The moving magnetic field is what makes it possible for the train to travel up to 340 miles per hour."

Hareta looked amazed at that. "Whoa! I didn't know it could go that fast!" he exclaimed.

Gold grinned, "Well, people do refer to it as a bullet train for a reason, Hareta. You see where that name comes from now, don't you?"

Hareta nodded, "Yep!" The three of them then relaxed in their seats and spent most of the rest of the trip watching the scenery fly by.

Sooner than they expected, they arrived at Goldenrod City, the train gliding to a stop as it approached the station. The train doors slid open after the train came to rest on the ground and Hareta, Gold, and Kotone got off along with the other passengers. Stepping outside of the station, Gold glanced down at his Pokégear and said, "It looks like we still have a few hours of travel time left. So which way should we go to get back to New Bark Town?"

Kotone suggested, "Why don't we head north? Since you caught Sudowoodo on Route 36, there's been more traffic between Violet City and Ecruteak City. We could reach Violet City faster that way than if we went through the Ilex Forest."

Hareta said, "Sounds like a plan to me! What do you think, Gold?"

Gold shrugged, "Okay, sounds good to me too. Let's get going!" With that, the three of them began making their way north to Route 35 and the National Park.

By evening, the group had made it through Violet City and was near the northern end of Route 30 when they decided to stop for the night. They had a quick dinner and then rolled out their sleeping bags for the night, wanting to be up early so they could reach Cherrygrove City as soon as possible. They formed a triangle shape around the campfire, Pikachu sleeping on the ground next to Gold, Minun snuggled up near Hareta, and Eevee curled up beside Kotone's bag.

Sometime later that night, Gold's eyes flickered open. He lazily looked up at the night sky for a moment, not sure why he was up, and then pushed out of his sleeping bag enough to sit up. He then went back to looking up at the night sky, remembering where they were and realizing that tomorrow was probably the last time he was going to see Hareta for a while. "The time's finally come, huh? Kotone and I will be home when we get to New Bark Town, but Hareta's going to have to catch a boat from Cherrygrove City to get home to Sinnoh," he murmured to himself.

A moment later, he heard Hareta's voice, asking, "Gold…? Are you up?"

Gold turned around to see Hareta coming over from the line of trees along the route. He said, "Hey Hareta. Having trouble sleeping?"

Hareta replied, "Not really. I woke up because I had to go to the little boy's room." Gold nodded in understanding.

Kotone suddenly groaned, "Ugh… What's going on?" Gold and Hareta glanced over at her as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. She then looked over at the two boys and asked, "You two are still up?"

Gold shrugged, "Eh, not really. We just kind of woke up out of the blue." At that, Minun, Pikachu, and Eevee began to stir, each of them getting up and yawning.

Hareta grinned sheepishly, "Well, looks like we're all up now."

Kotone sighed, "Great. Now how are any of us going to fall back asleep?"

Gold suggested, "We could try counting the stars." Hareta, Kotone, and the Pokémon shrugged at that, Hareta going back over to his sleeping bag and pushing his legs inside of it as he sat down, Minun, Pikachu, and Eevee leaping onto their Trainers' sleeping bags and sitting down as well. Everyone sat in silence for a few minutes before Gold admitted, "I guess I woke up because I was thinking about tomorrow."

Hareta looked over at him and asked, "What about tomorrow?"

Kotone looked at him as she said, "I think he was referring to you, Hareta, and the fact that you'll be leaving tomorrow."

Hareta smiled, "Oh is that what he meant? Okay."

Gold glanced over at Hareta and asked, "'Okay'? That's all you've got to say to that? You're not upset by the fact that we're going to be splitting up at all?"

Hareta replied, "No. I'm sad that we won't be seeing each other for a while after tomorrow, yes, but that's okay. Back in Sinnoh, whenever a friend left or we got split up, there was usually never any time to think about it or how I felt about seeing them go. Now that I've had time to think, I realize that it's really sad to see friends go. But it's also not so hopeless; it's not like we'll never see each other again after we leave. We'll just be in different locations on the same planet. It's not like we'll be worlds apart. I know we'll see each other again someday."

Kotone looked at Hareta for a moment before saying, "You know, I think you're right, Hareta. I guess having a wild first adventure like you had would really teach you this kind of thing, huh?"

Hareta replied, "Yeah. I had to see a lot of friends go back then, but I think the reason I was never saddened by them leaving was because I always knew that I'd see them again, especially the ones I really liked. Kind of like you and Gold."

Gold smiled, "We're pretty close to you, huh?"

Hareta grinned, "Yep! Like family! So let's make the most out of tomorrow, what do you say?" Gold and Kotone agreed with him and, shortly afterwards, everyone went back to sleep. This time, everyone stayed asleep; nobody woke up in the middle of the night for any reason. Because of the small conversation they'd just had, it felt like a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

The following morning, the group entered Cherrygrove City and immediately headed for the port area to inquire about ferries to the Sinnoh region. After some talking around, they found out that the next ferry wouldn't be leaving until early that same evening. With no choice but to wait, Gold and Kotone suggested that they could kill time by paying a visit to New Bark Town, which Hareta agreed to.

As they approached the eastern entrance to Cherrygrove City, they were approached by three Ace Trainers, two of them female and the third a male. The male Trainer called to them, "Hey hold up, you three!"

The trio stopped and turned to look at them, Kotone asking, "Yes? Can we help you?"

One of the two females replied, "I have a feeling you can. What do you three say to a battle?"

Gold asked, "A battle? Who are you three?"

The other female Trainer spoke, "I'm Halle, she's Shannon, and he's Samuel. We're from the Hoenn region and we're looking to see if Johto has any Trainers worth battling. So what do you say?"

Hareta asked, "Um, how are we…?"

Samuel answered, "We'll have a Triple Battle. You three against us three and we'll each use one Pokémon apiece. How does that sound?"

Gold glanced between Kotone and Hareta, seeing the knowing looks in their eyes, and then looked back at the Ace Trainers and said, "All right, you've got a deal! Let's have a triple battle!"

The six Trainers moved their battle over to the grass near the beach area at the city's western side. The Hoenn Trainers sent out their Pokémon first, Samuel sending out his Mawile, Shannon calling out her Claydol, and Halle sending out her Sableye. Hareta, Gold, and Kotone thought about what their opponents were before deciding on which Pokémon each of them was sending out. After thinking about it for a minute, Hareta sent out Typhlosion, Gold called out Meganium, and Kotone sent Feraligatr out.

Halle went first, telling her Sableye to use Shadow Ball on Meganium, which Gold countered by calling for Meganium to use Light Screen. At his call, Meganium created a light-blue wall around the team from the antennas on his head, which held the Shadow Ball back. Seeing that Meganium was temporarily unable to move, Shannon told Claydol to use Rapid Spin on Typhlosion and Samuel ordered Mawile to use ViceGrip on Feraligatr. At that, Hareta called for Typhlosion to use Flamethrower on Claydol and Kotone told Feraligatr to use Aqua Tail on Mawile. Unfortunately, the attacks didn't work out as they hoped they would; Claydol's Rapid Spin allowed it to plow through the Flamethrower at Typhlosion while suffering a minimal amount of damage and Mawile managed to dance around the Aqua Tail and clamp its large jaw-like horns on Feraligatr's head.

Halle took this opportunity to tell Sableye to use Fury Swipes on Meganium, the Darkness Pokémon dashing towards the Herb Pokémon at that. Gold told Meganium dispel the Light Screen barrier and then use Razor Leaf. Sableye easily dodged the leaves that were sent out from Meganium's flower and leapt towards him with its claws ready. Meganium, however, caught the Darkness Pokémon with Vine Whip, grabbing it by its legs. He then brought it back and then threw it towards Mawile, hitting the Deceiver Pokémon in the side and causing it to release its ViceGrip on Feraligatr. Now freed from Mawile's jaws, Feraligatr whipped around and blasted both Sableye and Mawile with a Hydro Pump attack.

Typhlosion, meanwhile, was still busy dealing with Claydol. After its Rapid Spin had ended, Claydol hovered back from Typhlosion and floated in place for a moment, which gave Typhlosion the opportunity to hit it with a Swift attack. After recovering from being hit by all the yellow stars that Typhlosion launched from her mouth, Claydol retaliated with an AncientPower attack. Typhlosion dodged it by using Quick Attack and immediately launched into her next attack: Rock Climb. Claydol tried to stop her by using Psybeam, but Typhlosion's Rock Climb was accelerated by her Quick Attack and she struck Claydol before it could move, sending it backwards.

The battle between the two teams continued for a while, but eventually the Pokémon began to look exhausted. As they all were beginning to run out of steam, Sableye and Mawile went in for another attack, Sableye preparing a Shadow Claw for Feraligatr and Mawile going for Typhlosion with a Bite attack. Feraligatr caught Sableye with his jaws in a Crunch attack, shaking it for a moment before flinging it back towards the other side, while Typhlosion easily knocked Mawile back with a Focus Punch. Claydol managed to catch both of them as they flew backwards, all of them panting heavily after the Clay Doll Pokémon came to a stop. Seeing this, Gold turned to Hareta and Kotone and said, "Let's finish this, guys!" Both Hareta and Kotone nodded at that and they all looked back at their Pokémon. It was time to wrap this up.

"Typhlosion, use Fire Blast!" Hareta called.

"Meganium, Solarbeam!" Gold ordered.

"Use Hydro Pump, Feraligatr!" Kotone said.

Then, all together, they spoke, "TAKE THIS! TRIPLE FINISH!" At that, Meganium, Typhlosion, and Feraligatr unleashed their attacks together, all of them hitting the opposing team's Pokémon at the same time. A large explosion followed and, when the dust cleared, Sableye, Mawile, and Claydol were all down for the count.

The three Ace Trainers were silent in disbelief for a moment. Then Shannon seemed to find her voice and said, "Wow. You three are strong. Are all Johto Trainers this tough?"

Gold grinned, "Well, I don't know how many of them are really tough, but we've sure run into some tough ones in our travels. I'm sure you won't be disappointed while you're here."

Samuel smiled, "Is that right? We'll be sure to keep that in mind as we go. And hey, if you three are ever looking for a new challenge, you should check out Hoenn. You should find it fun."

Halle finished, "It was nice meeting you three. Hope to see you again sometime!" With that, the three Ace Trainers headed for the Pokémon Center to go heal their Pokémon.

As they watched them go, Kotone murmured to herself, "Hoenn… There's quite a bit of ancient history hanging around that region. And they have a Pokémon League of their own. Maybe…"

She was snapped out of her musing when Gold spoke, "Hey Kotone!" The brunette looked up to see Hareta, Gold, and the Pokémon looking at her. She blushed a bit as she realized just how lost in thought she had been. Gold continued, "We've still got a few hours before Hareta's ship leaves. If we get moving now, we might have enough time to get there, show him around, and get back here before then."

Kotone said, "Oh yeah, that's what we were going to do when those three challenged us. Let's go, then!" With that, they headed back in the direction of Route 29, making their way east to New Bark Town.

A few hours later, as the sun was beginning to set in the western sky, Hareta and Typhlosion stood facing Gold, Meganium, Kotone, and Feraligatr near the ship that would be leaving soon. During the last few hours, Hareta had been properly introduced to Professor Elm as well as Gold's mom and Kotone's parents and was shown around New Bark Town. But now the time had come; it was time for Hareta to go his own way.

"Well, this is it, Hareta. You started out your Johto journey here in Cherrygrove City and now you're going to end it here. It sure was one heck of a journey, wasn't it?" Gold asked.

Hareta nodded, "It sure was! I'll never forget all the fun I had with you and Kotone, Gold! I'm glad we got to travel together all this time!"

Kotone giggled, "You're sweet, Hareta. I still remember that you were a real bundle of energy when we first met you. I mean, you still are now, but you're a little more contained than you used to be. I'd definitely say you've grown up a little bit from this whole journey."

Hareta smiled, "Thanks, Kotone. I'm glad I got to learn little about myself and my family history during this journey. But I'm sure it would've been much different if I hadn't been with you. I probably would've learned nothing and not grown up at all without you guys."

Gold spoke, "Hey, even though we're going to be separated by miles of ocean for who knows how long, don't forget that we're always with you in spirit, Hareta."

Hareta grinned, "Don't worry, Gold, I know. We're best friends for life!" At that, all three Trainers brought their right arms forward and bumped their fists together. Nearby, Typhlosion, Feraligatr, and Meganium also bumped fists (or for Meganium, his vine) together as well, displaying their own strong bond with each other. They all expected to be separated when new Trainers came to select their first Pokémon, but perhaps by fate, they ended up in the hands of Trainers that were on the same journey together. This would be one adventure they would never forget either.

Suddenly, the ship's horn sounded, indicating that it was almost ready to leave, and everyone turned to look up at it. They then looked back at each other, Hareta saying, "Well, I guess we'd better get going."

Gold nodded, "Yeah. Take care of yourself, Hareta!"

Kotone asked, "We'll be seeing you again sometime?"

Hareta replied, "You bet. Thanks for everything, Gold and Kotone. See you guys later!" He and Typhlosion then turned and began walking over to the ramp leading to the ship, waving back at Gold, Meganium, Kotone, and Feraligatr as they went, all of them waving back.

As the ship started to pull out of the port, Gold and Kotone called out all of their Pokémon, all of them waving to Hareta, who was standing next to the railing near the back of the ship with almost all of his Pokémon. He hadn't called out Regigigas or Onix, but he held onto their Poké Balls in his right hand as he waved with his left hand, allowing them to see and wave through the red part of it.

As the ship began to get smaller and smaller, Gold, Kotone, and all of their Pokémon stopped waving and watched as the ship continued to shrink as it headed southeast. "He's a good kid, isn't he?" Gold sighed.

Kotone nodded, "Yeah. Kind of like a real little brother." After considering what she said, she snapped her fingers, "Oh shoot! I forgot!"

Gold looked over at her, "Forgot what?"

Kotone looked back at him and said, "I was going to ask him what we are to him." At Gold's questioning look, she explained, "He called Mitsumi his big sister. I know he said that we're like family to him, but I wanted to know what he was thinking of when he said that."

Gold replied, "Oh yeah, that. Well, you can ask him next time we see him. Anyway, we should probably get home. My mom and your parents are making a big 'welcome home' dinner after all."

Kotone said, "Yeah, you're right. Let's go home." They then recalled all of their Pokémon except for Pidgeot and Togekiss. The two Trainers then climbed on their backs and they took off, taking them back to New Bark Town.

**Meanwhile…**

With Johto no more than a speck on the horizon, Hareta and his Pokémon decided to get comfortable for the ride home to Sinnoh. Lucario and Sceptile were hanging out near the front of the ship, Minun and Sneasel were running around the deck and down the ship's hallways playing, and Luxray, Alakazam, Typhlosion, and Scizor were talking near the pool area, occasionally getting surprised by Misdreavus using Astonish on them for fun.

As for Hareta himself, he was standing next to one of the ship's railings, resting his arms on it as he looked at the sunset. While he was looking, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching and turned his head to look. He smiled, "Hey Empoleon."

The Emperor Pokémon gave him a nod and then asked, "(What are you doing over here by yourself, Hareta?)"

The boy replied, "Just watching the sunset. You know, I've always loved to watch the sun rise and set, but until this journey, I never realized how much I took the two for granted. Never realized what it would be like to wake up and never be able to see the sun ever again."

Empoleon nodded and walked over, standing beside Hareta. Together, they watched as the sun continued to sink lower and lower in the sky. He said, "(I guess now we know that we should be thankful for all those things we take for granted.)"

Hareta nodded. A moment of silence passed before he spoke up again, "We've sure been through a lot since we started traveling, haven't we?" When Empoleon glanced over at him, he went on, "I mean, Gramps let me become a Trainer because he thought it would be good for me and that I would be able to find Dialga. That's how we met Mitsumi and Jun, as well as how we got involved with Team Galactic's plot. And we went through a whole lot more during our trip here in Johto and Kanto."

Empoleon asked, "(Where are you going with this?)"

Hareta replied, "I guess I'm just thinking about how everything's worked out so far. I mean, even the smallest difference could've changed everything significantly; we could be living in Cyrus' vision of a perfect world now or in a world ruled entirely by Faust. Those are bad possibilities to consider, of course, but there could also be some that wouldn't be all bad. But I don't care about that stuff; I'm perfectly happy with where I am right now. And none of this would've been possible without mom, dad, Gramps, Gold, Kotone, Jun, Mitsumi, and, most important of all…" He turned to look up at Empoleon before finishing, "you, Empoleon."

The Emperor Pokémon gave him a warm smile at that. This was definitely the Hareta he knew and loved. They turned to look back at the setting sun, the skies darkening as the night approached. Their adventure in Johto and Kanto wasn't their first journey together and they knew it wouldn't be the last. They had no idea what the future held for them, but they knew they and the rest of Hareta's Pokémon would face it together. Not just as Trainer and Pokémon, but as best friends and family.

* * *

Music:

Returning to Johto - Tornado (Sonic Unleashed)

Late Night Talk - Dusk at Excess Express (Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door)

Triple Battle! - Sunset Colosseum (Pokémon Battle Revolution)

Parting at the Port - Dear My Friend (Sonic Unleashed)

The Sun Sets on Another Adventure - Ending Credits (Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future)

Well, that's it. The story is finally over. I apologize for the long wait for this. I had a bit of a case of writer's block shortly after I started writing. I think it turned out more or less how I was expecting it to, but I hope that you thought it was a good ending too.

The three Ace Trainers that challenged Hareta, Gold, and Kotone to a Triple Battle are based off of the Cooltrainers from Hoenn's Victory Road. Hm, I wonder if Hoenn is in anyone's future.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this extremely long fanfic. When I started writing it, I think I had, at most, 50 chapters in mind. As you can tell, it went far beyond that. I don't know if it was enjoyable, but it did allow me to cover as much as I could in this one story.

I planned on including a teaser for the sequel for one last chapter, but I didn't like what I had written and ultimately decided any teaser would make the ending seem less emotional. So I'll just say this: I really hope you enjoyed reading this story, I thank you for putting up with me all this time, and if you did enjoy reading this, then I hope you'll keep an eye out for the sequel, "Pokémon: The Shadow Flames".

Thank you very much, everyone! Hope to see you again soon!


End file.
